Collision Course
by Fragile Human
Summary: Two worlds collide, two lives are forever changed. Vegas was where it began and Forks was where it ended. Rated M for Lemons, and language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everybody - so I'm pretty nervous about posting this story. Some of you may have read my one-shot, "Bella Sera". Most of you also read Cydryna Marie's stories, too. She featured part of this story as a sneak peek on chapter 6 of "Little Black Dress".

I'm going to warn you - I'm a wordy writer. Probably completely over-descriptive. There aren't any lemons in this chapter, but I think it gives you the background needed to understand Bella & Edward later on. Plus it's how they meet, which is always fun!

Reviews are terrific, they make my heart skip a beat :) Thanks for reading, and hopefully I can keep updating quickly!

* * *

"Bella? Bella!" I started as I felt a hand gripping my shoulder tightly, shaking my out of my daydream. It figures, I was just at the part where the tall, dark, incredibly gorgeous guy was untying my bikini top. Lord have mercy, why did Alice always have to interrupt me at the best parts?!

"What can I do for you Alice? Seriously, it better be good." I probably sound like a jerk, but honestly, I'm not seeing much action these days so my dreams are all I have.

"Don't look. Seriously stunning man at 3 o'clock. Like, amazingly hot. And he's totally checking you out! Well, I think he is, but it's hard to tell with those sunglasses on." She was trying to be slick about checking him out, pretending to stretch her neck and shifting position on the lounge chair. Unfortunately, her spiky black hair was blocking my view of this "amazingly hot" guy. Then, making it even more impossible to see, she threw on her gigantic wide-brim beach hat, probably just trying to draw even more attention our way. Honestly, she pulls me out of a daydream just to tell me about a guy I can't even look at? Hell, he probably wouldn't give me the time of day anyway.

Alice is my closest friend; we're practically sisters. Both of our moms passed away when we were younger, and we were raised by our dads. They met at ballet practice years back, and we've all been inseparable since. The ballet, however, was given up on quickly in my case. It's awfully hard to dance when you can barely walk across a flat surface without falling down. I still think Alice should have kept it up; with her grace and natural talent, I'm sure she would have been a star.

So here we are, 17 years later, laying on a beach in Vegas. I know, Nevada is a landlocked state. There's this hotel here that has an actual beach. Sand, a wave pool, even waiters and waitresses that bring drinks right to your chair. It's awesome. Alice has decided to flip onto her stomach, which finally gives me a view of the mysterious hot guy. What a view! This guy is tall, with that lean, muscular look. His hair is going in every direction possible, and is this amazing bronze color. Definitely that post-sex hair that so many guys try and fail these days. He, however, has passed with flying colors. He's standing with two other guys, whom I barely notice because I'm so shell-shocked by the sight of him. My heart is pounding in my chest; I don't want him to catch me staring but I don't want to look away. This guy is pure eye candy; complete masculinity rolled into one rock solid package. Which sets my mind wandering back to my daydream, this time with a new star. Maybe I can pick up where the last one left off?

I settle back into my lounge chair, hoping that my staring wasn't noticed because frankly, I don't want to meet anyone in my bathing suit. I've always been self-conscious, and this guy seems so totally out of my league that I won't even let myself think about it. I will, however, think about his perfect arms that would feel so strong wrapped around me. I'll think about how his six pack is incredibly ripped and how he has that "V" heading down to (while I'm imagining) a huge package. And now I will let myself fall back into that dream, and we'll see how well he can use it.

Of course, now is the time when Alice wants to start a conversation with me.

"What are we going to do tonight? Do you want to walk the strip and see if there are any clubs we haven't been to? I was thinking we should just head in the opposite direction from last night, and see if there's anything interesting going on. I really don't want to get so drunk again though, I don't know if I can handle another night like last night!" We had gotten completely, disgustingly drunk last night. I mean, it was our first night in Vegas! It's what you're supposed to do. Especially when there are so many guys around buying us drinks. I don't think my liver will ever forgive me. My stomach was doing flip flops just thinking about how awful this morning had been. Thankfully, we didn't have anything to do today except lay by the pool and nap.

"I think we should get dressed up, but we'll do whatever sounds interesting once we're out there. But I'm not wearing heels tonight! I almost broke my ankle on those stupid stilettos you made me buy yesterday. Face it, Alice, I just wasn't made for heels." It was the truth. Flip flops tended to be my footwear of choice, unless I was at home in Forks, where it rained practically every day. Cold, wet feet weren't my favorite accessory.

I snuck another peek at the where the gorgeous guy had been standing; he was nowhere in sight. I heaved a sigh, earning a questioning look from Alice. I just shook my head and decided to forget about him. Sure, he was nice to look at. Those were usually the worst kind – especially when they knew how hot they were. I didn't need another self-assured jackass like my last boyfriend. Jacob was hot, there was no denying that. The problem was that he knew it, and had no problem using it to get whatever he wanted, which just so happened to be sex with numerous women, whenever available. I had suspected it for months, once he started being more careless about his flings. The final straw was when I walked in on him saying goodbye to his most recent screw; a tall, beautiful blonde he called Rose. She had a face a model would kill for; it was the face plastic surgeons worldwide longed to create. I was almost happy to finally know for certain, and it was definitely worth it when I kicked his sorry ass right to the curb. Literally, I started throwing his things out the window. The 50-inch LCD TV was my favorite thing to throw. It made a beautiful crunch when it hit the asphalt.

Enough thinking about the asshole! I needed to get my head on straight if I was going to be out on the town tonight. Maybe I'd even run into the hot guy from earlier. I turned to Alice and told her I was going to head in to shower and start getting ready for our night out. She grabbed her things and jumped up to walk in with me.

After a long, hot shower which I spent singing and dancing mostly with a small amount of energy focused on shaving my legs, I stepped out into the bedroom. This was my least favorite part of the day. This was the part where I would pick out an outfit to wear, hear Alice tell me how awful it was and how I couldn't dress myself properly, and be completely redressed and done up like a life-size Barbie doll. I threw on my sweats, figuring it was worthless to pick something out myself, and took a deep breath.

"Alice! I'm ready for you to help me get ready!" I yelled while knocking on the adjoining door between our rooms. The door swung open almost immediately, with Alice standing there fully dressed. I always envy her ability to sense exactly what brings out her best features: her small stature, perfectly shaped legs, hourglass figure… guys practically melted when she walked in a room. Her green eyes sparkled as she led me to her closet.

"I designed this one especially for you and had it made a rush order so we could bring it to Vegas. I can't wait to finally see it on you! It was so hard to keep it a secret. I know you love royal blue, and I found the perfect fabric and used your measurements from last time…" Her voice faded into the background as I took the dress in my hands. It was the most beautiful shade of vibrant blue, a jersey material that was so soft I couldn't wait to feel it against my skin. I quickly made my way into the bathroom, shed my sweats, and pulled the dress over my head. The straps were thick enough that they hid my bra straps, which was great because I had my favorite push up bra on. The square neckline was cut low to show off the great cleavage that bra gave me. Thank God Alice made me buy new underwear before we came down here! The dress tied in the back of the empire waistline, hugging it close to my body, while the skirt skimmed halfway down my thighs. I came out of the bathroom slowly, still not believing my best friend had made me one of her signature creations. Dresses like this were selling for at least three hundred dollars at the boutiques in our town; I couldn't believe that I had one, and a one of a kind too! I knew exactly which shoes I would wear with it: my black patent leather slingback pumps. These shoes just scream sex-kitten (at least I think they do) and I definitely could use the extra confidence those shoes gave me. As I went to put them on, Alice said dryly, "So I guess you will wear heels with the right dress? I should have known! I'll have to make you more outfits just to get you into the shoes I love. Honestly, is it such a big deal? We don't have to walk that much anyway, we can stay close by. I'm sure there will be plenty to do, and if all else fails we can hit the casino." I threw my arms around her, thanking her endlessly for the dress and for being such a good friend, all the while hoping that I would get off easy in the hair and makeup department. No such luck.

After about an hour of what I consider "cruel and unusual punishment", which meant curling irons and mascara, Alice finally deemed me ready to face the public. We each grabbed our handbags, did one last face check, and headed out the door. As we waited for the elevator, I casually mentioned the guy from the pool. Alice's head snapped up with a shocked expression on her face.

"Are you really still thinking about that guy? You hardly even seemed interested earlier! I totally would have gone up to him had I known you thought he was hot. Did you see his friends? There was one guy with blonde curly hair and oh my god he was fine. I swear, my heart skipped a beat when I saw him. Damn it Bella! You should have let me know! We could have gone out with them tonight! Or spent the day with them. I mean, honestly. There weren't any other guys that good looking at the pool. I am so annoyed! You totally owe me a hot guy!" Alice was pouting, which was never a good sign. I hadn't even noticed the other guy's face, to be honest. I could picture my dark stranger's face perfectly but everyone around him was a blur.

"Well, Alice, let's cross our fingers. Maybe we'll get lucky and run into them tonight. Really, how many places are there to go in this area? And if we don't see them tonight, we can always hang at the pool tomorrow and see if they show up again. If they don't, it wasn't meant to be. But I really would love to see him up close, maybe find out his name…" I trailed off as the elevator doors opened. First, a few little old ladies hobbled in the elevator, cackling about their latest score in the casino. Alice and I exchanged a look over their heads, silently choking on the laughter at the thought of ourselves in 50 years. Then, I almost choked for real. Stepping onto the elevator were the guys from the pool. I've never had the best luck before, but maybe things were changing now. Get rid of the scumbag boyfriend, go on a girls only vacation with Alice, meet tall dark and handsome guy that I've been fantasizing about all day. Alice squeezed my hand as the guys crammed themselves in past the old ladies.

"Hi!" She trilled at the boys, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling her most dazzling smile. "I'm Alice and this is Bella. We were wondering if you boys would like to take us to dinner." She winked at me as I watched, mouth open, completely horror struck. The blonde boy laughed immediately, saying, "We were hoping to run into you girls again. Didn't we see you at the pool earlier? Edward and I were just talking about how we wished we had approached you earlier." Oh. My. God. Seriously? Edward, however, wasn't looking super thrilled at this point. His eyes were on me; he looked me up and down and back again. Then he looked down at the floor, or at Jasper, anywhere but me. Crap. Just like I thought – he was totally out of my league. Just then I pulled myself back to the conversation to hear the blonde boy introducing himself as Jasper, and telling us that Edward has just had a rough week and to not take it personally. Alice was laughing, tilting her head back to look up into Jasper's eyes. That girl really knows how to work it. Too bad she would be the only one using her charms tonight; I could tell that Edward wasn't interested in me at all.

We stepped off the elevator, Alice and Jasper arm in arm, while Edward and I trailed behind them. I thought of attempting a conversation with him, to be polite, but every time I thought of something to say, I got nervous. I could feel a blush rising in my cheeks as I realized that this was going to be an awkward meal. Just then I felt Edward's hand on my arm. I nearly froze in shock – I felt like I had been jolted with electricity where his hand touched my arm. It seemed like he felt it too, because he quickly pulled his hand back, leaving a tingling sensation where his warm fingers had touched.

"I'm sorry to startle you, Bella. I only meant to apologize for being so rude tonight. I've had an awful week, and we came to Vegas to unwind. I don't seem to be doing a very good job so far. I can't seem to clear my head."

Green. His eyes were the most fantastic shade of green I had ever seen on a person before. He could have just been telling me he was going to drag me off to the janitors closet to chop me up into little pieces before feeding me to a lion; I wouldn't care. I was transfixed, hypnotized by his eyes. They were an emerald green, with a clarity and a depth I've never seen until now. His eyes were gorgeous, but so filled with sadness that it rocked me to my core. I wanted to reach out to this stranger, this man who I had only just met, to comfort him. I wanted to give him whatever he needed to remove the sadness from his gaze; I wanted to hear him laugh, to see his smile, to make his eyes roll into the back of his head from a night full of sex and… what? Where did that come from?

I pulled my head back into the conversation at this point, coherent enough to form a reply. "It's OK Edward, I know exactly how you feel. Alice brought me to Vegas for a break from reality. We really just needed to get away for a while. You don't have to tell me what happened, but if you want I can try to keep your mind off of your problems for a while. Tell me about yourself. What do you do?"

"I'm a pediatrician; I work in a children's hospital back home." He leaned his body back against a wall while we waited to be seated for dinner. "I've had a few tough weeks and this past one was the worst. I don't usually take vacations, but I had to take some time to get my head on straight. I can't really talk about what happened right now, but thanks for asking." I found myself leaning in to catch his words; he spoke in such a low, soft voice that it was hard to hear. I wanted to hear everything. If I had thought his eyes were mesmerizing, I was blown away by the sound of his voice. It had that slightly rough, gravelly tone but in a good way. Like he had just woken up after a night of screaming my name… there I go again! What was it about this guy that had these thoughts running through my head almost constantly? I was never like that!

Of course my distraction by his voice was just enough so that I didn't notice Alice and Jasper walking ahead to the table; as I turned to catch up, I caught my heel on the edge of the carpet and nearly went flying. Apparently Edward has the reflexes of a cat; he instantly caught me around the waist and pulled me up against his rock solid body, steadying me in his arms. My heart was thundering in my chest, with a scarlet blush creeping into my cheeks. I was mortified: why did I have to be such a klutz? I looked up into his eyes to see him cracking a slight smile, pulling up only one side of his mouth. His eyes were crinkled and it looked like he was about to laugh. I instantly backed away, managing to stutter out, "Oh gosh Edward, I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz, I can't seem to help falling over, thank you for catching me, I can't believe I almost fell…" He cut me off here, finally letting out a laugh. "Bella, it's fine! I'm used to having to catch things. The kids are always knocking things over at the hospital. Besides, I'd much rather catch you than an IV pole." There was a twinkle in his eye as he said that, I swear. What would a young, gorgeous, successful doctor want with someone like me? Had he really said he'd rather catch me? Was that even a compliment? The thoughts were swirling through my head like a hurricane; I just managed a slight smile in response. Edward must not have liked that; he caught my arm as I spun away to find Alice.

"Bella, what's the matter? Did I offend you somehow? I didn't mean to laugh. Really, I don't know if I could walk in those shoes, either. How you women manage it is beyond me." Great, now he was critiquing my outfit?! What was with this guy? I slipped into the booth beside Alice, ready to just get this night over with. I didn't care how sexy Edward was, I just couldn't get over how I kept embarrassing myself. Surely he wouldn't be interested in anything more than pure superficial entertainment from my antics.

For the rest of the meal, I listened half-heartedly as Alice, Jasper, and Edward carried on a conversation. Sure, I made the required noises and laughed at the appropriate times, but I just wanted to sulk. Damn Edward though, he kept looking over at me and trying to get me to join in the conversation. I didn't want to keep embarrassing myself; did he want to get in a few more good laughs? I finally gave up and joined the conversation when I felt Alice kick my leg under the table. She leaned towards me and whispered, "If you don't snap out of it, I'm going to stab you with my stiletto! Don't ruin this for me. Jasper seems like a great guy, and so does Edward. Seriously, Bella, you'll regret it if this doesn't work out for me."

Just then, Edward saw an opening. "So Bella, what do you do? Let me guess. Secret agent? No? Maybe you're a scuba instructor." His eyes were sparkling, and he had that damn half smile again. It would be so much easier to ignore him if he weren't so damn hot!

"No, Edward. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm a guidance counselor in a junior high school. Nothing that flashy or exciting, but I do get to help people and that's what makes it worthwhile." I stared at him defiantly, willing him to make a smart remark about my job. It was the one thing I was really, truly proud of. I loved helping those kids figure out their lives. But I wasn't going to think about that now; not after all that had happened last week. Just then I noticed Edward looking at me speculatively.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" I said accusingly. He looked instantly taken aback, answering quickly, "Nothing! I was just surprised, that's all. I would have pegged you as someone in the fashion business, or maybe heading a fortune 500 company."

Alice laughed, jumping into the conversation again. "That's my job. I own a.: the "ab" is me, Alice Brandon. I designed and made the dress Bella's wearing tonight; she's my favorite model." Alice smiled over at me, and I made a mental note to pick up something special for her to show my appreciation. At least I could try not to argue so much when she dressed me!

"I have to say, Alice, I can see why. That is the perfect shade of blue for Bella's skin. And if I may add, you're lucky to have such a beautiful model at your disposal." My heart skipped a beat when Edward said that. Basically, the world came to a stand still and hell froze over all at once. A guy like Edward was calling me beautiful? He was probably just saying that to be nice. I peeked over at him from behind my hair and noticed him studying me intently.

"You are quite the specimen, Bella. Edward and I are probably the luckiest guys in Vegas tonight – getting to eat with the two most gorgeous ladies in town! Maybe you'll let us take you out after dinner too?" Jasper looked at Alice with pleading eyes, and I could see she was putty in his hands. Great. Now I was stuck with Edward all night long, or at least till Jasper and Alice ditched us to go nail somewhere. I mean, not that I would mind being with Edward, he seems nice enough. I was just nervous about making more of a fool of myself. It seemed like I was always on the defensive with him, and I wasn't sure why. It was probably because I felt so inadequate next to him; like I was being compared to a Greek god.

We finished our meals and fought over the check briefly, finally submitting to the boys requests, or rather demands, to pay. As we left the restaurant, Edward placed his hand on my lower back. With nothing but the thin material of my dress between our skin, I could feel that electric jolt where he touched me again. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, almost unable to help it, and saw that he was looking down at me. I raised my eyebrows questioningly and kept silent. Edward just smiled that maddening half smile again; it was truly irresistible. I wondered if he was thinking what I was thinking; that maybe Alice and Jasper running off wouldn't be such a bad thing, and we could be left to fend for ourselves. I honestly thought that I would go for it with Edward; that I would love to explore every inch of his body with my hands and mouth, making him call my name over and over again. I imagined the feeling of his hands on my skin, his stubble scratching me in places that hadn't been touched in such a long time. I was going to have to get control of this urge if we were going to be spending any time together. My hormones were spinning out of control at this point. Most likely, I'd just spend the night following him around like a puppy dog and go back to my room, alone. He would probably find a much more interesting conquest once we were out on the town. I doubted very much if Alice would notice me leave once she was wrapped in Jaspers arms.

We walked into a club at this point. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice Edward paying the cover charge for me. I had worked myself up into a frenzy. I was so convinced that Edward was just taking pity on me that I flopped down onto a couch and sulked. Alice had already pulled Jasper onto the dance floor; I was sure I wouldn't see her again for the rest of the night. Edward had headed over to the bar, returning with two drinks.

"I got you a jack and coke. I hope that's ok. Let's head over to that corner table where we can talk; I'd like to get to know you a little better since it appears we'll be spending the rest of our trip with you girls." He pointed over at Alice and Jasper, who appeared really enthusiastic on the dance floor, grinding and making out. I debated telling Alice she should just take him back to her room and get it over with, but I wasn't ready to be alone with Edward yet. Instead, I just gave Edward my best sultry smile. I don't know why I bothered; there was something about him I wasn't sure of. Yes, his body was amazing. Perfect. I just wasn't sure about his personality. He was so hot and cold; I preferred people who were straightforward and honest.

"Edward, I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here with me. Just because Alice and Jasper hit it off doesn't mean we have to get together. You're a nice guy and all, but I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with." I was amazed at my ability to form coherent sentences; just sitting here, looking into his green eyes, with that tousled hair and shit-eating grin, was practically giving me a heart attack. My heart was going a mile a minute. I'm sure he could see it practically beating out of my chest. His eyebrows lifted, and his response shot tingles through my body.

"Bella, I don't know what you're talking about. I've enjoyed every minute we've spent together, from when you were being grumpy and pouting at the restaurant till you finally started enjoying yourself. Why don't we just let this go where it will? So far I think we're handling ourselves pretty well. And I, for one, am extremely pleased with my end of the deal." Be still my heart, he just reached over and took my hand. I was looking deep into his eyes, practically hypnotized by their intensity. I found myself leaning in towards him, my eyes half closed, anticipating what was coming next. Edward was doing the same, with his other arm snaking around my back, pulling me towards him. Just as our lips were about to touch, a scantily clad waitress interrupted. She was barely decent, wearing only a black lacy bra and a tiny miniskirt. Her fishnet thigh highs seemed to go on forever down to her glossy red "fuck me" pumps. Edward barely glanced at her to wave her off, while keeping his arm around me. I was breathing heavily, practically panting from the electricity racing between us. Edward finally leaned in, closing the space between our mouths. His lips took mine captive; I was lost in the heat of it. He pulled back slowly, looking surprised.

"Whoa." He said softly, his face shell shocked. I'm sure I was mirroring his expression. The intensity of that kiss, however brief it was, rocked me. I wasn't sure if I actually liked this man, but I wanted to explore that physical jolt I felt whenever we touched. I wanted to know what it would be like to spend the night rolling around, sweaty and satisfied, with this man. I did something I've never done before: I pulled him up from the booth, towards the door. I was going to finish this; my body needed him like nothing I've ever felt before. I had to know what he felt like inside me, what his skin would feel like against my skin.

"Where are we going?" he asked, looking hopeful. Was he honestly excited to be going with me? I still wasn't sure if he would even want to.

"Back to my room. There's something I want to try." I gave him my best sex-goddess look, pouting my lips a little while arching one eyebrow. Edward only smiled that half smile I had come to adore, and pulled me towards the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi all! So, so sorry that i'm a terrible updater! I can't seem to make Bella or Edward do what I (or they) want. Plus with all the amazing fanfic out there, i've been reading more than writing these days! Too many favorites to count!

This chapter is obviously shorter than the first, but there IS lemonade (finally!). I'm trying my best to write the next one, but I'm in a bit of a rut. Anybody has some ideas, I'd totally appreciate them! And as always, reviews are like dreams of Edward :) Keep 'em coming!

Stephenie Meyer is a Goddess and I own nothing. I just wanna get B&E laid!

xoxo

* * *

We made it back to my room in record time, which was surprising since I was still trying not to break my ankle on my heels. As soon as I got the door open, I pushed him up against it, hungrily spreading kisses up his neck while pressing my body against his. Edward let out a low growl, weaving his fingers into my hair while pulling my face to his. As our mouths connected, he nipped at my bottom lip with his teeth. I gasped in surprise, and he used the opening to slide his tongue into my mouth. God, the feeling was exquisite. I slowly started massaging his tongue with my own, moaning in pleasure at the heat. Realization slowly dawned on me that I was rhythmically pushing my hips into his, rubbing in a slow circle against his growing erection. I had never felt so free before; I wanted to dominate him completely, to do things I've never had the courage to try before.

Edward pulled back slowly from our kiss. He cradled my face in his hands and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this, Bella?" He was looking deep into my eyes as he slowly licked his lips. That was the end of me – the sight of his tongue running over those full, soft lips sent me into a frenzy. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him over to my bed, pushing him down with all my strength. He looked up at me in awe, that crooked smile playing across his face. I started to unbutton his shirt, working quickly. I wanted to see his muscles again. I wanted to run my hands down his abs to that erection that was actually looking quite large at the moment. I would be in for a night of it, I guessed, thrilled with my discovery.

I finally pulled his sleeves off and threw his shirt over my shoulder. His skin was smooth, lightly tanned and stretched beautifully over his thick muscles. I leaned down to kiss his collarbone, teasing it lightly with my teeth. Edward's head went back once I made contact with his skin; he moaned softly and grabbed me roughly around the waist. He flipped me over onto my back, taking the dominant position from me. With a devilish glint in his eye, he began slowly running his hands down my legs. He made the softest, slightest contact, giving me shivers and leaving me aching for more.

"Do you like it when I touch you, Bella?" he asked softly, leaning down to kiss the inside of my knee. "What if I were to kiss you like this? Would you like that too?" He moved his mouth to my inner thigh, his tongue darting out to leave hot, wet lines tracing up towards my core. I was aching, nearly driven crazy by the feel of it. I couldn't help myself anymore; I was beyond reason at this point. I let out a sigh of relief when he finally touched me through my lace panties.

"God, Bella. You're so eager for it. I've never met a woman like you before. I want to please you, Bella. Let me. Please." Edward asked in a rough voice. I could only nod my head as his fingers rubbed my clit. I had never felt this before; no one had ever made me feel so sensual. I watched him with half closed eyes as he returned to my inner thighs with his mouth. He worked his way towards my center again, this time peeling my panties off ever so slowly. I wound my hands into his bronze hair as his teased his way from hip bone to hip bone, nibbling on my swollen lips. It seemed like he kissed or licked me everywhere but the one place I wanted. When his tongue finally touched my clit, swollen and aching from need, I thought I was going to die. Heat spread through me, my back arching off the bed. Just when I thought I was at the peak of pleasure, he thrust his fingers inside me, pumping in and out, his fingers slick with wetness. That was all it took to send me spiraling over the edge. I could feel my insides clamp down on his fingers, sending shockwaves through my body. I had never had an orgasm like this before. My hands were everywhere, pulling his hair, digging into his shoulders, gripping the sheets, needing anything to hold on to. It seemed to go on forever, my body writhing under his ministrations. When I finally regained my senses, I noticed Edward looking up at me with his half smile creeping across his face.

"God, Bella. I can't fucking believe you…" I crashed my mouth to his, cutting off his words. I was still so hot, on fire from his mouth, and I needed more. I needed to feel his rock hard erection from the inside. I wanted to give him the same feeling of pleasure he had given me. I grasped his belt and quickly removed it, never breaking our kiss. His pants fell to the floor, followed quickly by his boxer briefs. I froze in place at the sight of his dick. It was huge, in my opinion. To the point where it partially scared me, but I was too worked up to care. I wanted him. Quickly, I pulled my dress over my head and shed my bra. I left my heels on, thinking it would add just a little naughty edge. I pushed him back on the bed, straddling him, holding his hands above his head as I leaned down to kiss him hungrily again. I could feel his dick pressing into my leg; I readjusted myself so I could tease him with my opening. I gently pressed down against his tip, letting it graze against my most sensitive place. Acute pleasure washed over me, and I was barely able to keep myself aware of the plan to tease him. Edward's head fell back against the bed, his eyes rolling back in his head. I quickly rose up and then pressed down again, letting him enter me, but only slightly. I then pulled back up, releasing his tip again. Edward's eyes snapped open as he roughly grabbed my hips and thrust himself inside me, deeper than I ever thought possible. I let out a cry of pleasure; Edward took this as my permission to continue his assault on my body. His hands roamed my skin, rubbing up my back and coming around to caress my breasts. My nipples were peaked and hard against his palms, aching to be touched. As he pumped in and out of me, I could feel the pressure building again deep inside me. I knew I was close, but I wasn't ready to finish yet. I pushed against his chest with one hand, causing him to slow his movements. I leaned in and kissed him, then winked. I threw my leg over his, spinning myself into a position Alice had told me about, the reverse cowgirl. I was now riding him, facing away, with him watching nothing but my ass. The feeling was incredible, not knowing if he was watching me or if he couldn't keep his eyes open from the pleasure. Suddenly, he pushed me onto all fours, continuing to pump from behind me. I could feel him slide in, hitting the exact spot that made me go weak. I felt the pressure building again as Edward said, "Oh fuck Bella I'm so close!" I reached back and gently squeezed his balls, knowing that would send any man over the edge. He pumped harder and harder, our skin slapping against each other, when I finally exploded into sheer pleasure. Edward yelled "Bella! Fuck!" and pumped so hard I thought I was going to rip in half. It felt amazing, my walls milking his dick, squeezing in pleasure like I've never felt before. I collapsed on the bed, panting and sweaty, as Edward fell against me.

Reality hit me then; what had I just done? Satiated, I decided I didn't care. I snuggled my ass up against his dick, while he wrapped an arm around me. I fell asleep wondering if this was a one time shot, or if I would be lucky enough to get a second round of mind-numbing sex with Edward. For now, I was content to just sleep. I could get my answers in the morning.

* * *

I was having the most fantastic dream. That gorgeous guy from the pool was laying next to me, trailing his fingers up my leg, over my hip, and up my side. Now he was running his fingers through my hair, pulling it away from my face. I heaved a sigh, fully and completely relaxed. Then I realized I was dreaming, so of course I began waking up. I was hoping those feelings were real, but honestly, who would be sleeping with me? I felt something tug at my memory, but I was unable to remember whatever it was. I was fighting it, wanting so badly to return to the dream. Angrily, I threw my arm over my eyes, feeling my fist bounce off something solid. And warm. Uh oh.

My eyes flew open as I pulled the sheet up over my naked body, covering my chest. There, lying next to me, looking quite alarmed, was the guy from the pool. Oh my god. Edward! I had honestly slept with him last night. I could feel the blush rising from my chest to my cheeks as I realized what I had done. Unable to meet his eyes, I muttered, "Morning... um, did we do what I think we did?" Shit, I really wanted to find my toothbrush before having a conversation with him. And I have to pee!

He chuckled suddenly, running his fingers through his silky hair. If his hair was any indication of what we did last night, I'd say I had a great time. Crap.

"Good morning Bella. Yes, we did what you think. Yes, it was fantastic. Yes, I would like to do it again." He was staring into my eyes again. I swear, he knows how dazzling he is when he does that. It turns my insides to mush.

"Um, OK. That sounds great to me too, Edward, but... can I run to the bathroom really quick first?" I was so embarrassed! Here I am with a gorgeous guy in my bed, and all I can think about is brushing my teeth. I jumped up out of the bed, not waiting for his response, and ran to the bathroom with the sheet wrapped around me. I slammed the door behind me, and took a look at myself. Not a good idea! I looked like... like, well, like I had spent the night rolling in the sheets, having incredibly, mind-blowingly hot sex with a complete stranger. I was actually kind of proud of myself to have landed a guy like Edward. Quickly, I peed and then brushed my teeth. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to get it to that purposely-messy alluring state, which never works for me. I gave up, took a deep breath, and walked out into my bedroom. Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed, on the telephone. I overheard something about orange juice and waffles, which sounded absolutely amazing at the moment. He hung up and noticed me standing in the middle of the room.

"Well, hello gorgeous." He said with that half smile and a wink. Then, he shocked me. He whistled at me! Seriously, did anybody do that anymore? I instantly cracked up, bent over double, and accidentally let go of the sheet. Edward's smile quickly changed to the look of a predator. He came around the bed faster than anything I've seen, scooped me up in his arms, and threw me on the bed. Shocked, I didn't know what to say or what to do. I could only watch as he crept up over me, his face less than an inch from mine.

"What exactly are you laughing at young lady? I don't remember anything funny happening here." He growled at me. Growled! I could see the smile tugging on the corner of his mouth, so I played along, stuttering, "I, I, I'm sorry Edward! I never meant to make you mad. I was just so surprised that you whistled at me! Please don't be angry." I puffed out my bottom lip, crinkled my brows, and tried my hardest not to laugh. He immediately looked concerned. "Bella I was kidding! Did I scare you? I was only being silly!"

I hit him on the arm. "No kidding Edward, I'm being silly too!" Of course this revelation only caused him to lean down and suck on my neck, which reminded me that I was completely naked with a near stranger in my hotel room. I blushed instantly, which distracted Edward for a moment.

"I love when you blush. It's so beautiful to see the color spreading that way. You look so innocent! But we both know you aren't innocent at all, don't we?" I jumped as his hands started their assault on my body again, caressing my breasts and pinching my nipples till they were hard as pebbles. I moaned softly while he took one nipple in his mouth, sucking and nibbling until I could hardly stand it anymore.

"Oh Edward, please, I need you inside me. I want it, now." I moaned into his hair. My hands grasped his ass, squeezing and raking it with my nails. No other man had ever brought this reaction from me; I didn't understand it, but I wasn't upset about it. I reached around to grasp his dick, my thumb rubbing over his tip while I squeezed with my fingers. Edward lifted his head to look me in the eyes for a second, then began ravaging my mouth with his. Our tongues rubbed against each other, swirling heat and the taste of him through my mouth. He was delicious; I wanted to taste more of him. I pushed him back, and sat on my heels, saying, "My turn" in the sexiest voice I could muster. I flipped my hair to the side and leaned forward, taking his dick into my mouth. I played with just the tip for a moment, licking his precum and spreading it down his shaft. I could feel him pulsing in my mouth, and his hips twitched as if he wanted to thrust into me. Slowly, I licked my way down to his base and back up again, taking him into my mouth once more. I wrapped my hand around what wouldn't fit in my mouth, and worked up and down in a dizzying rhythm, sucking and licking until Edward was gripping the sheets, twisting them in his hands. Suddenly, I knew he was about to cum. I squeezed harder, focusing my tongue on his tip, swirling it around and causing Edward to orgasm. He bellowed my name as he came, arching his back up off the bed. I continued sucking and licking until his body stilled, hoping to make it last as long as possible for him. When he finally relaxed, I brought myself to lay next to him, pressing my breasts against his chest. He opened his green eyes slowly, as if he weren't sure this was real. I wasn't sure it was real myself. He looked at me for a moment, finally cracking his one-sided smile, and asked, "What are you doing for the rest of your life?"

I was a goner. Crap.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: To all who review: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Seriously it makes my day when I see one of those review alert emails. I get to grinning like a fool and then i bug CM mercilessly about how great they are. She secretly loves it, don't worry. So for those of you loving lemons, I give you this 3rd chapter. It starts off with a bang, and i mean that literally. And with that, enjoy!

* * *

I was slammed up against a wall, the force causing a few bottles to fall to the ground. Edward was squeezing my arms with such force I was sure I'd be marked permanently. I screamed, unable to cause any other reaction to occur. I wrapped my legs around his waist even tighter, pulling his dick in deeper than I thought it could reach.

He had surprised me in the shower; one minute I was rinsing the conditioner from my hair, the next his mouth was claiming my center. I didn't know how he got in the shower so fast; I didn't care. I just wanted him to fuck me, hard and fast.

I didn't want romance right now. I wanted him to be rough. He seemed to sense that. He worked his way up my body, biting and digging in his fingers to my sensitive flesh. He cupped my ass and picked me up, pushing his whole length into me in one thrust.

There was nothing gentle about it; nothing like last night had been. We were like animals, groaning and snapping at each other. I dug my fingers into the hard muscles of his back as he worked in and out of me, fast and deep. I could feel my walls constricting around his dick, but I wasn't ready for this to be over yet. He had a fierce look in his eye, like he would dominate me into submission.

He bared his teeth and ran a hand through my wet hair, pulling my head back as he bit and sucked on my neck, all the while pumping his dick into me like a battering ram.

Still I wanted more. I pushed him away from me, stepping out of the shower and dripping water all over the floor. He followed me out with an angry, surprised face.

"I wasn't done with you, Bella. Where, the fuck, do you think you're going?" he growled as he stalked me across the bathroom.

"Shut up and get over here" I hissed back at him, crawling up on the bed on all fours. He took one look at my exposed ass and was at the bed in two steps.

He grabbed my hips and thrust himself in me from behind, momentarily filling my vision with stars. I hadn't thought he could go deeper than he had in the shower but I was wrong. I felt as if I was full to the brim, overflowing with him.

He kept up his rhythm, squeezing my ass and my breasts from behind while he fucked me senseless. I couldn't hold back at this point, I had lost all control over myself. I screamed his name as I came; the waves of pleasure rocked me. I grasped blindly for something, anything to hold on to. Twisting the sheets in my hands, I felt Edward pulsate inside me, succumbing to his own orgasm. His fingers dug into my hips as he shot his hot cum inside me. When it finally subsided, he fell on top of me, rolling us both onto our sides.

"Where did that come from?" he asked quietly while stroking his fingers up my bruised arms.

I giggled. "I could ask you the same thing. Was that ok?" I didn't want him thinking I was some twisted freak, into pain and beatings and what not. I didn't hate it though; that was by far the best sex I've had in a long time. Or ever, for that matter.

"Bella, stop asking me if you're ok. I wouldn't be here if you weren't. Not that it's all about the sex – don't get me wrong, it's great. Better than great, actually. But there's something about you that I find intriguing. I can't seem to figure you out, but I want to. How about this: let's finish that shower, if we can, get dressed, and go get some lunch. I doubt that room service is going to come back after hearing all that. We should probably find out where Jasper and Alice are, too. That is, of course, unless you have something else you need to do." He had a point, I realized. I hadn't heard from Alice since Edward and I had left the club last night.

Hoping she had the same type of night I did, I agreed with Edward. I couldn't wait to actually talk to him, but I was nervous at the same time. I thought it was odd, being nervous to talk to someone I had just spent 12 hours fucking. We knew we were compatible physically, but who knew if our personalities would clash? Did I even want this to turn into something more than a fling? I supposed I would find out once we got to lunch.

Edward and I were waiting for Alice and Jasper to arrive at the restaurant. He had backed me into a darker corner of the bar, running his fingertips up my thighs. His beautiful eyes were glinting mischievously and he had that damn crooked smile again.

I had gotten dressed quickly after our second attempt at showering, throwing on the first thing I could find. The cotton sundress was pale yellow, tying behind my neck and back while barely reaching past my ass. This was, apparently, enticing Edward to molest me in the corner of a restaurant. What the hell, it's not like I wasn't enjoying it myself.

I looked up at him, absently noting the fact that I really had to look up at him; he was so damn tall! I was having trouble thinking straight at this point, party from his intense stare and partly from the electric feel of his fingers on my skin.

His fingers traced higher, tickling the inside of my thighs. Just as he reached the edge of my lace boyshorts, I saw Alice from the corner of my eye. Fucking figures.

She and Jasper came towards us, Alice exuding grace and excitement as always. Jasper looked calm, cool and collected, much as he had last night. I surprised myself by being angered at their approach; Edward had just been getting to the good part. Maybe we could pick up where we left off after lunch?

The hostess led us to a large circular booth in the back corner of the restaurant, looking hard at Edward and Jasper before walking away. Alice and I stared back at her, and I swear I saw her intentionally swaying her hips.

Edward pulled on my hand as he slid into the booth, gently leading me in beside him. He pulled me to his side and wrapped an arm around my waist while we checked out the menu.

Actually, he appeared to be checking it out but I was transfixed by the bulge in his jeans. Seriously? I slowly shifted my hand from my lap to his, rubbing it gently over the denim covering his dick. Yep, hard as a fucking rock. I wondered how on earth I could be contemplating any type of sexual activity in a public place, let alone after the night I just had.

I felt Edward's arm tighten around my waist as I carefully applied more pressure to his cock, rubbing in small circles then pressing against his hard outline. I felt my nipples harden in anticipation; I thanked God I had put on panties before I left the hotel room. This bench would have been in a sorry state when we left otherwise.

I innocently looked up at Edward now, wanting to see his reaction on his face. I think I even asked him what he was ordering, but I can't say if the words really left my lips. His eyes were crazed, wide open and staring hard into mine. He whipped his head to the side towards Jasper and Alice and spat "I need to speak to Bella outside. Privately."

I jumped out of my seat, looking at him as he rose quickly and pulled me by the arm towards the exit. He actually looked angry with me as we hurried out the door. He half dragged me down the hallway until he suddenly pushed me through a door, locking it behind him. I opened my mouth to ask him what I had done when he roughly pinned me against the door, cutting off my words with his mouth. He savagely lifted me off my feet, grinding his cock into my hot, wet core. I arched my back at the contact, aching so badly for him to be inside me I cried out.

I reached down to fumble with his belt again, trying desperately not to break contact with his mouth. His hot kisses seemed desperate; they had an edge to them that almost scared me. I finally freed his belt and worked to undo the button on his jeans. It took mere seconds but felt like hours while I tried to work his pants down. Fuck, was he wearing boxer briefs? I swear I just came. Those fell to the floor too, his erection pressing right against my clit as he pressed even harder against me.

He growled loudly in my ear as he pushed my wet panties to the side, thrusting his cock deep inside me. I wrapped my legs even tighter around his waist, trying to match his movements with my own, but feeling so lost in the sensation that I was barely able to keep up. I felt him pulling my hair, arching my back even further in response.

I felt his thumb rubbing my clit, wet from my own juices. He pulled back from our kiss to look me in the eye as he slowly raised his fingers to his mouth, licking them clean. He reached back down to grip my ass as he drove even harder into me, and I felt my stomach tighten and my walls begin to clamp down. My head spun dizzyingly as I climaxed harder than I ever have in my life; I vaguely heard him grunt as I felt him release inside me.

His legs were shaking, barely holding us up at this point. As I came down from my orgasm, I felt him gently touch my feet back to the floor before we both slid down into a heap on the ground. I started giggling, realizing that we had left our friends back in the restaurant. Edward must have been on the same track as me, because he let out a huge chuckle as he wrapped me in his arms. We snuggled for a moment before jumping up to straighten ourselves out. He helped me smooth my hair down and I fixed the collar on his shirt before we stepped back out into the hall.

He looked down at me with that crooked grin that made my heart skip a beat, sending shivers down my spine.

"Well, Bella. Now that we got that over with, would you mind terribly if we had some lunch? I'm famished."

I doubled over laughing as I took his hand and yanked him back towards our friends.

Lunch was fantastic; we ate like pigs, laughed our asses off with Alice and Jasper, and got to know each other a lot more. I've never seen Alice so happy before; it was like Jasper was bringing out all her best qualities and some I'd never even seen before.

She looked at him adoringly, and his every touch seemed to relax her while lighting her eyes up with lust. It was almost impossible to keep them focused on the conversation because every time they agreed on something, they would look at each other like they were alone in the room. I almost told them to just go back to a room already, but who was I to talk? Edward and I couldn't keep our hands off each other. His hand was lightly rubbing my thigh under the table, which was totally making it hard to keep track of what we were talking about. I was running one hand through his hair, slightly hypnotized by the feel of the soft strands caressing my fingers.

I tightened my fingers and gave it a little tug, remembering how I instinctively pulled on it while we were fucking in the closet. Not a good mind frame to be in while trying to talk to my best friend and her new soul mate. I didn't want to seem like a blubbering fool to Jasper, especially if he was going to be around after we got back from Vegas.

I noticed Alice and Jasper getting up from the table from the corner of my eye, which shook me out of my near coma. Alice was looking at me strangely, a mixture of puzzlement and humor on her face.

"So, Bella, did you want to go have those massages we set up or did you have something else you wanted to do?" She moved her eyes from me to Edward and back again while arching one perfect eyebrow. Subtlety is not her strong suit. I looked over at Edward, trying to gauge what he would want. I didn't want to seem overly attached, but if he wanted to spend the afternoon in the hotel room, I wasn't going to complain. He was looking at Jasper quizzically, as if asking a question with his eyes.

"We had a few things to take care of today before we leave, so why don't you ladies do your thing? We can always meet up for dinner tonight, right?" Jasper drawled in his Southern accent. I swear I saw a drop of drool coming from Alice's mouth as she stared hard at his lips.

"We can meet up at your rooms around 8, if that's enough time." I answered him, seeing as Alice was basically stupefied by his presence.

"That works for us. We'll be waiting for you. See ya!" I grabbed Alice's wrist and pulled her from the restaurant.

The whole way back to our room, she was babbling incoherently about how sexy, how smart, how funny Jasper was. She would tell me something that had happened and trail off before finishing the thought, staring off into space as a blush slowly worked its way up her face. I figured I was probably lucky that she never finished the thought.

I loved Alice like a sister, but I didn't think I wanted to know anything that would cause her to blush. She's very open about her sexuality and talks about guys freely with me most of the time; anything that could make her blush had to be really, really smutty. I'd get it out of her eventually.

We finally reached our rooms, having decided that the massage was out. We wanted to throw on some sweats, relax, have a drink, and catch up from last night. Alice went first, telling me about how she and Jasper hadn't made it very long in the club before they booked it back to his room, one thing on their minds. She described in excruciating detail their every move. There were a lot of them. Apparently Jasper is quite creative, and Alice was only too happy to help him master some of the more interesting positions he had in mind. I felt better about myself after listening to a few of her stories, knowing that Edward and I hadn't been alone in our crazy night.

"So at this point, I only had my heels on, which was great because Jasper is so much taller than I am that I needed the extra height. Plus, I think, he really, really liked seeing me in just my shoes. Thank God I wore the Jimmy Choo's last night! I knew those were worth the money when I bought them. Anyway, turns out I didn't need them that time, because Jasper had me sitting on the back of the armchair, with one foot up on his shoulder and the other leg wrapped around his waist… my God, Bella. He actually spun me around at one point without even pulling out! I was facing the ceiling one second and the next I'm on my stomach bent over the chair. He's fucking amazing!" I had to laugh as Alice described the last position they had been in this morning, knowing it took a special man to surprise her in the bedroom.

She finally stopped talking so I began telling her about my night, all the graphic details I could muster. Alice's jaw dropped a few times, not expecting to hear any of what I told her. I have to admit, I shocked myself a few times while reliving the experience with her.

Who knew shy Bella Swan would be able to pick up a guy and sleep with him multiple times in one night? I decided I was proud of myself, especially since Edward seemed like a pretty decent guy. After we had finished baring our souls to each other, we started figuring out what to wear to dinner that night.

"Bella let me do your hair and makeup tonight. I want to really knock Edward's socks off. He's not going to be able to resist you when I'm done. Do you have that La Perla set I made you buy when we got here? Tell me you haven't worn it yet. I have the perfect dress for you!" She was off and running as usual when it came to dressing me up. I had to admit, I was secretly really excited to let her transform me.

* * *

A/N: Me again :) I'm having a hard time deciding where to take this story. I've said it before, but i would greatly appreciate any and all ideas! And how cool would it be to see your idea in my story? Honestly.I'll even give you credit! xoxo!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey fellow Twi-holics! I'm back again with another installment. I have a few people to thank:**

**Cydryna Marie, love, you are the BEST inspiration to me. Every time I read another chapter of one of your stories, I want to bust out one of my own. So thank you for letting me be involved in both of them and for pushing me to write myself. You'll know your line when you read it, just for my girl ;) IFLTSOOY!!!**

**JEEBRACE - my best friend for now ;) Never underestimate her, she's absolutely lethal. Love you to pieces!**

**Hope4more - You may notice I took your idea and spun it a little - thanks for giving me the most romantic date I could think of! I'm sending E to pick you up tonight - go find a nice spot for him to land ;)**

**Finally, eternallyaddicted, passionatly-obsessed, Tanya Denali134, laurajaexo, cathy34, and all the wonderful people who reviewed that i can't reply to - THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH! you guys crack me up. I have the water running, Edward is peeling off his skivvies... go find him, would ya? That boy needs some love ;)**

* * *

After what seemed like days of curling, smoothing, tweezing, brushing and moisturizing, Alice finally deemed me ready for a night out. As she led me to the mirror, I was mentally cringing at thoughts of heavy black eyeliner and 80's hair. I took a timid step into the bathroom, bracing myself for what was to come.

_Wow._

I barely recognized myself. There was definitely no big 80's hair; it was soft and curled at the ends, and looked like it belonged in some Pantene commercial. I had the shiniest hair I have ever seen. And my face! Alice should be sainted for the painstaking work she had done on me.

My eyes were huge, the brown accentuated by the plum shadow delicately applied to my lids. There was a hint of shimmer under my brows and my eyelashes went on forever. The paleness I was accustomed to seeing was transformed into luminescent skin, with a sun kissed glow on my cheekbones. My lips were parted in surprise; the dark gloss Alice had applied causing them to look pouty and full. I looked like a sex kitten!

I squealed and spun around, grabbing Alice in a bear hug. She swatted at my hands, yelling "For the love of all that's holy! Bella, you're going to completely ruin it if you insist on hugging me like this!" I knew she wasn't completely serious because she had the biggest shit eating grin I've ever seen.

"Alice, I don't know how to thank you. Edward is going to be blown away!" I had turned back to the mirror, examining myself again.

"Pretty shiny fucking curls, huh?" Alice said from the bedroom. I had to laugh, knowing that she could occasionally sound like a truck driver. Only someone as delicate and beautiful as Alice could get away with swearing almost nonstop. I noticed she was pulling dress after dress from her suitcase, finally holding one up in the same shade as my eye shadow. She eyed me speculatively before throwing it my direction.

"You might want to go with the green pumps tonight. Think you can handle it?" Ugh, not the green ones!

The heels on those things were almost 4 inches, not to mention the inch platform at the toe. I thought of her earlier statement about leaving the shoes on for Jasper and considered what Edward would think of it. Actually, these shoes were almost the same emerald green as his eyes. Interesting.

I teetered my way into the bedroom as Alice passed me to finish her hair in the bathroom. Not ten minutes later, she came out fully dressed, hair and makeup perfect. She's a freak, I know. My jaw dropped when I took in her dress. Strapless, coming to just under her ass, with a tie just under her shoulder blades. How in the world that dress stayed on was a mystery to me. It had lace insets randomly scattered under the bust, and was the most alluring shade of pink, almost like the sky at sunset.

"Alright Bella, here's the game plan. We go to dinner, knock their socks off, then if that works, we'll be each going our own separate ways preferably to orgasm land." She laughed and I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to call you tomorrow at noon so we can regroup before we have to head to the airport. I'm planning on giving Jasper a very special goodbye, and I doubt you'll be thinking about me either."

I had to laugh at her blunt way of speaking. She doesn't usually hold back.

"Sounds like a damn good to plan to me," I said as I straightened my dress, checked my lip gloss in the mirror, and we walked out the door hand in hand.

My heart started fluttering in my chest as we got closer to the restaurant. I saw his bronze hair sticking out above everyone else first. The fluttering grew till I felt like I had a full blown flock of geese in my chest, and I started breathing erratically.

Alice squeezed my hand, and I looked over to see her smiling radiantly towards Jasper. I noticed the guys staring at us with their mouths hanging open and I whispered a "thank you" to Alice, thanking my lucky stars that she had primped me for our date night.

She looked at me and grinned, mouthing "Watch this" and taking off towards Jasper. She dropped my hand as she swayed seductively forward, swinging her hips and holding her back straight. She had the grace of a cat, and I saw Jasper's eyes transfixed on her body as she walked up and put one hand on his chest and the other behind his head, pulling it down to her lips. She whispered something in his ear that had his eyes bugging out of his head, and I watched a slow smile work its way over his face. Alice laughed and kissed his cheek.

I knew better than to try to walk sexily, so I settled for just a slow saunter over to Edward. He was leaning against a column, his arms crossed and that gorgeous half smile on his lips. His green eyes burned into mine as I approached, only taking time to slowly look me up and down, leaving my skin on fire. I felt my nipples harden under the thin material of my dress, absently wondering if this would escape his scrutiny.

He stood up fully, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me close.

"God Bella, you look amazing. Those are some fucking shoes you're wearing." He spoke into my hair as he wound his fingers through it, pulling it lightly. I could feel his erection straining against the fabric of his pants as he pushed his hips into mine. I tilted my head back to meet his eyes, startled by the desire burning in them.

"Don't worry, Edward, I plan on wearing these all night long. That is, if you don't mind." I purred at him. Who knew I could actually say shit like this while looking someone in the eye? I didn't. I had never met anyone before that had stirred these feelings in my body; I had never been the type to publicly comment on my sex life or desires. Yet here I was, at a restaurant, telling Edward what my plans were for him for the rest of the night. If I kept this up, we might not even make it out for dancing. I wasn't sure I would mind. I could already feel the wetness in my panties brought on by just the thought of leaving my shoes on while we made love.

Edward's head fell back and he groaned. God, I loved that I could to that to him. The hostess chose this moment to lead us to our table, a large booth again in a secluded area of the patio. I slid in next to Edward as Alice and Jasper sat in their side of the booth. We gave our drink orders and the hostess walked away.

Deciding I wanted to keep the frisky attitude going, I leaned in towards Edward and slowly placed my hand on his thigh. I began rubbing small circles lightly with my fingertips, pressing harder when I reached his inner thigh. He snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me in tighter to his side.

"So has Edward been charming the panties off of you, Bella?" Alice smacked Jasper on the arm as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He grinned widely before planting a kiss right on her exposed collarbone. She pushed him away, trying to look angry but she couldn't hide the smile spreading across her face. Edward threw a roll at him, hitting him square in the mouth.

"Back off, Jasper. What goes on in Bella's pants isn't any of your concern. It is, however, mine. What do you say, Bella? Charmed? Or are the panties still there?" He was staring deep into my eyes, the green seeming to burn with lust and desire. Again, the sight of him licking his lips nearly had me pulling him under the table so I could have my way with him.

"The panties are completely off." I surprised even myself with that answer. Alice's eyebrows shot up, and Jasper choked on his drink. While Alice tried to help Jasper regain his lungs, I settled myself back into Edward's side, prepared to show him exactly what I meant. I returned my hand to his thigh, this time moving purposefully up towards his dick. I began with light, slow movements, tracing his thigh with my fingertips. My patience was shot at this point, though, and I began pressing harder and moving higher up his leg. I felt his package under my hand, hard and twitching. I slowly began to move his zipper down as I began another conversation with Alice and Jasper.

"Jasper, what was it that you do again?" I felt Edward tense as I pushed my fingers through the opening in his pants, wrapping them around his cock. I pulled it out of the opening, exposing it to the night air. I began stroking his dick slowly, trying to keep it discreet under the table. Edward's arm tightened around my waist, and I heard him whisper into my hair.

"What are you doing Bella?! Someone could see..." he trailed off as I grasped the head, spreading his precum around with my thumb. I thought I saw his eyes roll back as he let out a sigh. I was determined to finish this. No dragging me out of the restaurant this time.

Jasper was saying something, I think. I could see his mouth moving, forming the words I wasn't listening to. I nodded my head and smiled, all the while thinking of the things I wished I could do to Edward if there weren't so many damn people around. I saw Alice tilt her mouth up to his ear, whispering something then flicking her tongue out to trace his earlobe. At that, Jasper's full attention was turned back to her.

Perfect.

I continued slowly stroking, gradually squeezing harder on his dick, twisting my hand as I reached the tip, the sliding it back down again. Suddenly, I released him, reaching up to grasp my water glass and take a sip. I placed the glass back on the table and gripped his cock firmly. The condensation was cold, causing a sudden change in temperature. Edward suppressed a groan by pressing his lips to my temple.

I quickened my pace, moving my hand up and down his length while squeezing tightly. Edward's lips were pressed together and he was squirming in his seat. I sensed he was close to his release, so I grabbed a napkin off the table with my other hand. I was furiously pumping now, rubbing his whole length with my hand, squeezing his balls with the other. With one final pump, I saw Edward's whole body tense, and I covered his dick just in time before his white hot cum shot out.

I jerked my head up, remembering that I had attempted to start a conversation with Jasper while I was jerking Edward off, hoping I hadn't blown our cover. Thankfully, Alice was keeping him occupied; apparently just beginning the same act I had just finished with Edward. I blushed, thinking of how embarrassing it would have been to have the two of them ogling us while I manhandled Edward. I felt his fingers tracing my jaw and sighed.

"What do you say we get out of here? I have a surprise planned for you." he whispered, so softly I could barely hear him. The way he was looking at me made my heart skip a beat and stutter back to life. It made me feel like the most precious thing in the world, which was ridiculous because I had known him for barely a day. I simply nodded, grabbed my purse and slid out of the booth. I saw Edward throw down a bill before following me out the door. I waved goodbye to Jasper and Alice, but I doubt they even noticed us leave.

"Let's go get you a sweater; the desert gets cold at night." Edward took my hand, intertwining our fingers as we walked to the elevators. What on earth would we be doing in the desert at night? I asked him as much, but he simply shook his head and told me it was a surprise.

When we reached my room, Edward took my room key from my hand and opened the door for me. I was flustered by this; no man had ever acted like such a gentleman with me before, and Jake had always left me to fend for myself. I walked in ahead of him, suddenly nervous. Did he expect me to actually grab a sweater or was this just an excuse to get me back to the room?

"We kind of need to hurry, someone is waiting for us." He was standing near the door, anxiously checking his watch and running his other hand through his hair. This thoroughly distracted me for a second; he looks so sexy when he does that. I brought myself back to the task at hand, rifling through my suitcase and grabbing a black shrug then rushed to his side.

We walked out of the hotel and he brought me to a waiting limo, opening the door for me again. I crawled in, hoping I still looked somewhat ladylike while dragging myself across the seats, praying I hadn't flashed my ass at everyone standing outside. Edward got in gracefully, looking natural and at ease. He poured me a glass of champagne.

"Bella, I wanted to do something special for you tonight." I felt the limo pull away from the curb. "I know we haven't known each other long, but there's something between us that just feels right. I felt like I should do something extravagant." He was looking me in the eye as he took my hand. I took a healthy drink of the champagne, not quite sure of what was in store for me. I was also worried about this "feeling" he was having. I know we had shared a night (and day) of amazing sex, but we hadn't really bared our souls or anything yet; should I be worried that he was some sort of crazy, obsessed stalker? I was starting to think I should have told Alice where I would be tonight. My only respite was knowing that she would call me tomorrow looking for me; I just hoped I would be able to answer the phone.

"OK Edward, spill it. What the hell are we doing in the middle of the desert at 10:00 at night?" I gave him my best stern look, hoping he would finally let me know so I could either stop worrying or beg the limo driver to take me back somewhere safe. Suddenly, I felt the limo slow to a crawl, then stop. I peered out the tinted windows, trying to make sense of the shapes outside the glass. Was that a helicopter? Seriously?

The door opened and the limo driver helped me out onto the sand. Definitely a helicopter about 50 feet away, with a man standing next to it looking at us intently. I stopped worrying so much about being left for dead somewhere, and started worrying about actually getting into that thing. Where was he taking me?!

"I thought you might like to see the city from the air; it's so much more beautiful at night, when it's all lit up." Edward gave me that crooked grin again, looking like a young boy trying to impress his mother with a macaroni necklace. I couldn't help it; I threw my arms around him and said thank you about 50 times.

We climbed into the helicopter, and Edward showed me how to put on the earphones that would help us talk to each other while we were in the air. The helicopter lifted off the ground smoothly, and Edward handed me another glass of champagne.

"I'd like to toast to the most beautiful girl in the state of Nevada. Bella, you've made my trip so much more than I thought it would have been. I came here for a break from reality and I don't think I want to go back." He leaned in and kissed me, cradling my face with one hand. His soft lips were on mine, and he traced my bottom lip with his tongue. I met it with my own, tasting Edward and champagne, never wanting it to end. I wound my free hand in his hair, holding his face close to mine, moving my tongue against his. He slowly began to pull back, and I remembered the pilot and blushed. I quickly downed the rest of my glass and refilled it.

We flew over the city, pointing out the different hotels, watching the water show at the Bellagio from above. Edward asked me a hundred questions, it seemed, from my favorite color to my first pet's name (Stinky the Japanese fighting fish). I tried to interject with questions of my own but he was firing them at me so fast I could barely keep up. It was the most romantic hour of my life. As we began to make our way back to the airstrip, I thanked him for thinking of such a beautiful trip. I was planning the ways I could make it up to him as I refilled my glass.

Edward helped me out of the helicopter once we had landed, holding onto my waist and setting me on the ground carefully. I'm sure he had seen enough of my clumsiness to know I would need help. He kept his hands on my waist and kissed me again, soft and quick. I was beginning to feel warm all over, whether from his kisses or the champagne I wasn't sure.

"Edward, can we go out for a while? I'd really love to go dancing." Now I'm sure the warmth was from the champagne; I must have had 4 glasses on top of the wine at dinner. I never would have asked to go dancing if I were sober. Edward told the driver to take us somewhere, and we had another glass of champagne during the ride back. I wasn't really paying attention anymore. I had more important things to do, like run my fingers through his glorious hair, or trace the muscles of his chest. I was really starting to feel the alcohol now.

We got out of the limo somehow, and quickly bypassed the line to enter the club. Edward led me to a small table in the VIP section. I had just sat down when a waitress came up to ask if we wanted drinks. I heard Edward say "I don't think..." before I jumped in and asked for something fruity. I think I told her to make it strong. I barely noticed him cock an eyebrow at me before I grabbed him and dragged him to the dance floor.

I knew better than to try to do any serious dance moves with these deadly shoes on, so I settled for the next best thing. I wound my arms around Edward's neck and pulled his body close to mine, moving my hips against his to the beat of the song. I felt his response almost immediately and let out a groan. He buried his face in my neck and pressed his erection harder into my stomach.

"God, Bella, how do you do this to me? I just need a second to get myself together." He was flustered and tried to pull away. I saw our waitress walk by and snagged my drink from her tray, downing half of it in one gulp. I signaled her to get me another. Missing the contact of Edward's body, I turned away from him and backed my ass right up against him. I loved the feel of his hard dick pressing against my ass, knowing that I had caused it. I noticed his glass was empty, so I threw back the rest of my drink so we could have our hands free to touch each other.

I was groping him. It was probably completely inappropriate, but I didn't give a shit. I was drunk and it was Edward. Surely anyone with half decent eyesight could see that he was the most gorgeous man in the room. I spun around and tilted my head up, wanting to kiss those beautiful lips. He must have read my mind, because before I knew it his tongue was in my mouth, his hands clutching my hip and my hair. I ground my hips into his and he groaned into my mouth.

He was reading my mind again because he half dragged me out of the club. I suddenly noticed we were standing in front of the elevators, both breathing hard and probably looking pretty rough. His lips were swollen and red; his eyes were full of raging desire. He was holding my hand tightly, his other hand continuing to press the button. I giggled.

"What the fuck is so funny?" he growled. Fucking growled! It was the hottest thing I'd ever heard anyone say. I pressed myself up against him again, noting he was still hard. Between giggles I think I responded that it wouldn't get here any faster, especially if he broke the button. He glared at me. The doors finally opened and we rushed onto the elevator.

I saw Edward pushing random buttons and got confused. "Where are we going? This isn't even our hotel." Suddenly the elevator ground to a stop. I turned to ask Edward again, thinking he hadn't heard me, when his lips crashed into mine. I felt his hands on my ass as he backed me into the wall. He took off my shrug and hung it over the camera peeking at us from the ceiling. I knew exactly where we were going.

I peeled off his belt and had his pants unbuttoned before he could even resume kissing me. Our mouths raged against each other, our tongues fighting for dominance. His hands were everywhere, roughly grabbing my breasts and then tugging my panties off from under my dress. I felt Edward lift me up off the floor and prop me against the wall of the elevator as he kissed down my neck, nipping at my skin with his teeth. I arched my back and moaned.

"Tell me you want me to fuck you in this elevator, Bella. Fucking say it. Out loud." he growled again, trailing hot kisses over the skin of my chest as he pushed the top of my dress down to expose my breast. He took my nipple into his mouth, alternately sucking and biting it till I nearly screamed from the sensation.

"God, Edward. Fuck me, please, you have to. I... I can't wait... please, now..." I could barely control my body; he had plunged two fingers inside me and was rubbing my clit roughly with his thumb. I could feel my stomach begin to tighten and the need for him was excruciating.

Suddenly his fingers were gone, replaced by his dick. I moaned out in ecstasy as he drove into me, filling me completely. I wrapped my legs around his waist as his continued to pump, trying to angle my hips into his so he could hit that spot inside me that had me seeing stars. My back arched each time he thrust into me, the tightness in my stomach increasing so much that I knew I wouldn't last much longer. He was grunting loudly and panting as he slid in and out, his eyes burning into mine. I wound my fingers into his hair and pulled his head to the side as I covered his neck in kisses, biting where it met his shoulder. He moaned against me and I pulled harder.

"Fuck Bella, I'm so fucking close... Jesus you're so fucking tight, I can't fucking take it much longer..." His thrusts were coming harder and faster, and I knew we were both about to fall over the edge. I felt his body tense against mine as he climaxed, moaning my name over and over again. Hearing his velvety voice was all I needed to reach my own climax, and I felt the rush of pleasure as I clamped down on his dick, milking his cum to mix with my own.

I felt Edward letting the pressure off of my body as he slipped me back to the ground, holding me still once I was standing. He pulled me close and buried his face in my hair, sighing.

"Fuck, Bella. I didn't mean for this night to turn into another sexual adventure. I just wanted to take you out and treat you like a lady, not like some wild animal." He wouldn't meet my eyes when I tried to look up at him. I smoothed my dress out as I searched the floor for my panties. I was trying to figure out what to say, knowing I was probably too drunk to make any sense.

"Edward, it's OK! I practically molested you anyway, so really, it's cool. I wasn't going to complain anyway... should we maybe turn this thing back on or whatever it is you did?" I was trying to step back into my panties, but every time I picked up one foot I started swaying the other direction. I stumbled a few times before I just sat my ass down on the floor. Edward crouched down beside me, helping me loop my undies over my heels and pull them up to my knees. I finally got upright again and pulled them all the way on just as the doors opened up. Thank the fucking Lord.

We found a bathroom so I could try to straighten myself out; Edward was doing the same. As I walked out, I noticed I was next to the bar. Booze is good, especially when you're already drunk. I ordered myself a shot of tequila and had it down before Edward came out of the bathroom. The bartender was good though, he had another one waiting for me. I shot it down just as Edward walked up to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders and signaling the bartender for one of his own. We did two more shots before deciding to go walk around outside.

I happen to be a talkative drunk, as Edward was finding out. I'm told I also get very emotional, which can bite me in the ass most times. I was beginning to feel very attached to Edward, thinking all those thoughts that we girls secretly have when we meet a nice guy, kind of like the "what if" game. What if we got married? What if we had babies? Would they have his bronze hair or get stuck with my plain brown? Would they be tall like him or short like me? Where would we live? Would he come back to Forks with me? Where the fuck does he live anyway? I think I was blabbering on about how Alice makes me wear awful shoes when that thought hit me.

"Where the fuck do you live, Edward?" I pulled him to a stop as I asked.

He looked at me like I had six heads, which I probably deserved seeing as I was completely shitfaced. "Seattle." he answered. No fucking way! He looked surprised; had I said that out loud?

"I live in Forks! That's so fucking weird! We're practically neighbors!" I was starting to have those crazy drunk thoughts, the kind that makes perfect sense when you're drunk. For example, I thought it would be great for us to be in a relationship based solely on the fact that we were from the same state and had great sex. What more could you ask for?

"Bella, you're fucking awesome. Seriously. You aren't like those other girls, those dumb ones that fuckin fuck you and all but have no goddamn brains. I think you're fuckin smart. Fuck! We're fuckin perfect for each other, you know that?" He was kind of slurring his words, but I didn't care. He thought I was smart! I felt smart, but I also felt pretty fucked up at the moment. I had a feeling I was going to be regretting all that booze in the morning.

"Let's fucking get married. Let's just fucking do it!" I'm pretty sure I heard that right. He was nodding his head emphatically, like he just had some great epiphany or something. I burst out laughing.

"You know what, Edward? That's the best fucking idea I've heard all day. Lead the way my good man!" We stumbled off in search of a chapel. I doubted we would actually make it there, and that's the last thing I remember.

* * *

**Uh oh! Drunk + Vegas = trouble! **

**So, people, what do you think? Do they go through with it?**

**Wouldn't you? Duh. Anyway! Let me know what your opinion of this silly little escapade is. I can tell you, however, that the next chapter gave me goosebumps when I was writing it. Hold on, though - it isn't completely finished yet, so it may take me a little to update. Especially cuz (story pimpage here) I'm helping Cydryna Marie with her TWO stories. (More pimpage) AND she got 50 reviews on her last chapter in less than 24 hours! Good job love!**

**I propose we start a little friendly competition. Help me hit 25 reviews for a chapter and I'll write you a one shot of whatever lemony goodness your heart desires :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You guys rock my socks. Truly. I can't believe anybody actually reads this, let alone likes it! Thank you so much for the reviews, faves, and alerts. If I could, I would send Sexward to each of you. I'm still trying to find him, though.**

**Shout to Cydryna Marie, my mentor, my girl :) IFLTSOOYTIPO! Thanks for giving me the best ideas, ever.**

**JEEBs - my bf4n - love you, would marry you if it was legal ;) **

**And now, the worst hangover in the history of alcohol!**

Fuck.

My head felt like someone was trying to rip it open from the inside using a million little jackhammers.

I cracked one eye only to cringe back from the bright sunlight flooding through the room.

What the hell happened last night? It hurts to think. I remember the helicopter, the club, the hot kisses as we waited for the elevator. Oh God, the elevator. That was awesome. Then it gets hazy. I think I remember tequila shots and dancing, something out on the strip. Ugh, thinking of all that alcohol has me sick to my stomach.

I ran for the bathroom, barely making it before I was violently sick. When I finished retching, I leaned my face against the wall, wrapping my arms around my legs. I was still in the dress from last night, no shoes though.

What. The. Fuck. Is. That.

I leaned in closer to my hand, causing the jackhammers in my head to go off again. I cringed as I slowly brought my left hand up to my face. This can't be right.

Why the fuck am I wearing a ring on that finger? I started heaving again.

After I finished emptying my stomach of a bar's worth of alcohol, I weakly stood up and brushed my teeth. I caught sight of myself in the mirror, noting the red rash from Edward's stubble last night, as well as the fantastically dark hickey just below my left collarbone. Nice. No more strapless shirts for me for a few days. Or weeks, actually; that thing is dark!

I steeled myself to face Edward as I walked back into my bedroom, only to notice he wasn't there. I saw my shoes at the foot of the bed, my purse on the floor across the room. I sat on the edge of the bed and dragged my hands across my face, trying to remember what had happened last night. Did we seriously get fucking married? And where the fuck was he? I saw my phone on the nightstand, blinking red. Voicemail.

I heard Alice's worried voice as she wondered where I was and if I was ok, asking me to call her back as soon as I got the message. I ran to the door between our rooms, banging on it with my fists, yelling for her to come talk to me. I heard the bolt turn and saw her worried face poke through, scanning the room curiously. She took in the look on my face and was across the room immediately, taking me in her arms.

"Bella, where the fuck were you? You scared me shitless! It's almost 2! I've been banging on the door for two hours and I called you so many times! Is that a hickey? Jesus Christ you look like you were attacked with a vaccum!" Her questions were making me nauseous; I held up a finger and ran to the bathroom to be sick again. She followed me in, holding my hair and making comforting little noises while I heaved. Once it passed, she silently handed me a glass of water and sat facing me on the floor.

I knew the moment she saw the ring; her face darkened and she went completely still. She reached for my hand, stopping short of taking it. Instead, she pointed and asked me the same question I'd been asking myself since I woke up.

"What the fuck is that?"

I threw my hands up and rolled my eyes. How could I tell her if I wasn't even sure?

"I think that I may have possibly gotten... married last night. I don't remember.'' I could barely say the word.

"MARRIED?! Bella, come on! You don't even know the guy! Jesus fucking Christ!" Alice exploded, jumping to her feet, pacing the bathroom and muttering to herself. Watching her was making me feel sick again, so I closed my eyes. I felt her hands softly grip my shoulders.

"OK, we can fix this. I have Jasper's number in Seattle. He got a phone call this morning around 10 and he rushed out of my room; I know they were leaving to head back today. We can just talk to Edward, see if he will get an annullment. He has to; you two can't be married. It's ludicrous!" I looked up into her eyes, feeling slightly better knowing she was on my side and would help me take care of this. She's always taken care of me.

"Now, let's pack our shit, we're getting out of here today. Obviously we need to get back as soon as possible to start the whole process. I'm sure we can find a good lawyer that will speed things up for the right price." I stood up woodenly, still confused as to how this had happened in the first place. I was always sensible; I was practically known for my good-girl image. God, if my father finds out he's going to kill me!

I showered in a daze, going through all the motions without really thinking about it. I was replaying the night in my head, trying to remember how I had come to the conclusion that marrying Edward had been a good idea. I mean, sure he was a nice guy, and he had taken me on the most romantic date a girl could ask for. I thought we were both pretty intelligent; obviously I had been wrong.

When I stepped out of the bathroom I saw that my bags were packed, an outfit laid out for me on the bed. Alice was in her room, tearing through the closet, clothes flying every which way. I got dressed quickly, throwing on the jeans and T-shirt she had left out for me. I padded into Alice's room, picking up a shirt from the floor and folding it before placing it in her suitcase. I continued folding, only realizing I was crying when Alice wrapped me in her arms, sitting us both down on the bed.

"Shhh, it's OK honey. We'll get this sorted out before you know it. We'll be laughing about it soon, don't worry." She rocked me in her arms until I got a grip on myself. With a final sniffle, I stood up.

"I'm ok. Really. I just can't believe I fucking got married last night! What is Charlie going to think!? And Jake! We were only on a 'break'. I have to tell him. He'll be so upset; I'll probably lose them both." It was killing me to think of what my father would say about his only child running off and marrying some random guy in Vegas.

I felt Alice push past me into my room, gathering my bags and putting my purse over my shoulder. She pushed me gently towards the door, pulling her own bags behind her. We checked out and hopped on a shuttle back to the airport. I was silent the whole way through security, barely answering when spoken to. Absently, I spun the little gold band on my finger, thinking of Edward and where he could be now. Was he thinking about me too? Wondering what kind of girl would put him in this predicament?

Once we were seated on the plane, Alice turned to me. "I'm not going to let you sulk anymore. Pull your head out of your ass, Bella. It's not that big of a deal! We can still get ahold of him. I doubt he'll give you any trouble with the annullment; he's probably just as anxious as you are to get it over with."

"I know, Alice. I'm just so used to being good old dependable Bella. I don't make mistakes like this! Ugh, I feel like such an idiot." I rested my head on my hands, thankful during takeoff that I had only eaten a piece of bread with some tea this afternoon. My stomach rumbled angrily. My head was pounding despite the water and ibuprofen Alice had shoved down my throat.

I woke up to Alice rubbing my shoulder, whispering that it was time to get off the plane, we were home. Sluggishly, I got up and gathered my bags, thankful we hadn't had to check any luggage. I just wanted to get back to our apartment and go back to sleep. I heard Alice leaving a message for Jasper once we were in a taxi.

"Jazz, it's Alice. I have the feeling you know what I'm about to say. It seems Bella and Edward got themselves in a situation last night, and Bella is pretty anxious to get it resolved as soon as possible. Give me a call back so we can get this sorted out. Talk to you soon." She flipped her phone shut with a snap.

The ride home was full of planning and analyzing, determining exactly who we knew that could help the situation. Unfortunately, it didn't amount to much. Neither of us knew any lawyers, and I definitely wasn't asking my dad for help. I made Alice swear that she wouldn't tell him anything.

We pulled up to our apartment building, tipped the driver, and headed inside. As we rounded the corner from the elevator, we were confronted by two huge flower arrangements. They each stood over 3 feet tall, full of dahlias, tulips, roses, ranunculus, daisies, you name it. Each had a small card. Alice reached for the one closest to us.

"Alice - Welcome home. Thanks for an amazing weekend and hope to see you soon. Jasper." She read it quietly, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She leaned down and sniffed the flowers, apparently lost in a dream world that didn't include me. I walked to the other arrangement and reached for the card.

"Bella... sorry to run out on you, we'll talk soon. Edward" That's it? I hated to admit it, but I was a little jealous of Alice's heartfelt card. We'll talk soon? Does he mean in court? I felt the card snatched out of my fingers. I rummaged through my bag for my keys and opened the door, hauling my bags through and collapsing on the couch. Back to reality.

I heard Alice grunting under the weight of her bags and the enormous arrangements but I couldn't bring myself to help her. I felt myself sinking into a depression, wondering what else could happen to make my life worse right now. Then I heard a familiar voice in the hall.

"Bella? Are you back? I've been trying to find you all week! Did you go away?" I knew that voice anywhere; I had heard it in my dreams and my nightmares for the past two years. Jacob Black. I sighed, knowing I was in for it now.

"Hi Jake." I said tiredly. "I just got back. Alice dragged me to Vegas for the weekend for some 'girl time'. What do you want?" I flipped my hair out of my eyes and put my feet up on the coffee table, drawing a death glare from Alice. I moved them to the cushion next to me, tucking my left hand under them.

"Oh. Well, um, hope you had fun. Just wanted to make sure you were OK. You never answer my calls or return my texts." Oh seriously, like I was going to waste my time? Every time I start thinking he might be a good guy underneath it all, he fucks some tall leggy blonde. Right.

"Yah, about that. Sorry. I've been thinking a lot lately." I hoped that would satisfy him for now, at least enough to give me some more time to think. That was why I had gone away in the first place, to get away from his constant attempts to contact me. Of course he would figure out what he had once I left.

He came over and sat on the arm of the couch next to me. I fucking hate it when he does that. Then, to make matters worse, he leaned in and kissed my neck. I scooted away a second too late, but he saw and stiffened. Christ, would he ever understand?

"Jake, I just need some space. After that last time, when I walked in on you... I just dont think it's going to work between us. I don't think I can forgive that." I looked up into his dark eyes then quickly away. I could see the fury building there and I didn't want to see what he would do next. "I think you should go for now, and I'll call you soon. We can talk then." I stood up and walked to the door, holding it open for him, hoping he'd get it.

He stood up, shrugging his shoulders. "You'll talk to me eventually, Bella. We both know you can't stay away from me for long; you never do." The look in his eyes sent a chill up my spine, and I tried to flatten myself against the door as he walked by, still managing to rub against me.

"Bye, Bells," he whispered, "Don't forget to call."

I took a few shaky steps back towards the couch, collapsing onto it when it hit the back of my leg. I felt the tears flowing freely down my cheeks, my sobs tearing from my chest. Alice grabbed me in a bear hug, wrapping her thin arms around me while making comforting shushing noises.

"I can't... Al, I.. I.. he's just so... scary when he's mad." I gulped air into my lungs, fighting the urge to run as far and as fast as I could. "I know what happens when he feels challenged, when he's furious. I get hurt. Al, I can't do this..." My sobs were interrupted by the shrill ringing of my cell phone. Alice lifted it to study the name on the screen.

"Bella. It's Edward. Talk to him, maybe it will help you calm down." I shook my head quickly, knowing I wouldn't.

"Al, I can't. I can't do this right now. I'm going to go lay down. Please just let me be for a while, ok?" I stared blankly, beseeching her to allow me this. I stood on shaky legs when she simply nodded. The trembling would stop eventually, something I knew from past run ins with Jake. I just hoped this was as bad as it would get this time.

* * *

**OK I know it was a SUPER short chapter, and that was a really mean way to end it, but trust me! The next one is great. My husband is getting awfully annoyed with this whole "writing" thing, and I'm still trying to come up with a nice balance... although he never minds when I try out lemony greatness on him! And yes, I promise there will be more lemony greatness to come. In about 2 chapters. Don't hurt me!**

**xoxo**

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I still can't believe people actually read this story!**

**My usual thanks to Cydryna Marie: you are my life now. i couldn't write this story without you. thank you for always pushing me to make it as fantastic as i can - love you!**

**JEEBS - publish your damn story! its hot! i love it :)**

**Also - i'm going to pimp another story by eternally addicted: The Game that Changed it All - its going to be FABULOUS! Teaser: it involves Edward wearing those tight white baseball pants. I AM HOOKED just knowing that! Keep writing lady - i can't wait!**

* * *

EPOV

I could feel the sweat stinging my eyes, the burn in my legs almost intolerable. I was running as fast as I could, pushing myself harder than I ever had before. I knew I was punishing myself, thinking of all the inexcusable things I had done in the past few weeks.

I had been home from Vegas for fourteen days now. Fourteen long, painful, distracted days. I was miserable. I had made such an ass of myself, marrying a woman I barely knew. I looked down at the ring on my left hand, unconsciously curling my hand into a fist. I was an idiot.

I looked over at Jasper, running on the track next to me, surprised he had matched my furious pace. His head was bobbing to the beat of whatever song was playing on his iPod, a half smile dancing across his face. He had been acting like a love struck fool since we had returned, texting or calling Alice every half hour, whispering and giggling as if no one knew what they were up to. She was coming to stay with him this weekend.

I had hoped Bella would come with her so that we could talk. But she couldn't. We had spoken numerous times since our return, via phone or email, about how she wanted to go back to Vegas with me to get an annulment.

As if I would agree to that.

There was something about her, the sparkle in her beautiful eyes, the way she threw her head back when she laughed, the way she ignited my body with a single touch. No other woman had ever been so compelling. I wasn't ready to give her up.

I felt Jasper tap my shoulder and I turned to him. He was bent over, catching his breath, sweat streaming down his face and chest.

"Christ, Cullen. You trying to fucking kill me?" He stood, stretching his arms over his head. He looked at me quizzically, raising one eyebrow. I knew Jazz could read me like a book. It was uncanny that he could pick up whatever mood I was in, often without me saying a word. "You're thinking about Bella again, aren't you."

It wasn't a question and it didn't need to be. I was always thinking about Bella.

I smacked his shoulder with my fist. "Fuck off, Jazz. It's not like you aren't constantly talking about Alice."

I knew I should come clean and tell him what I had been thinking. I also knew he would think I was a complete fucking lunatic when he heard it.

We walked over to the bleachers and grabbed our water bottles, each taking a long pull. I squirted some over my face and hair before taking a seat next to Jazz.

"Can I unload on you?" I had to tell someone how I was feeling before my head exploded. He nodded.

"So, look. You know what happened with me and Bella in Vegas. What I haven't told you is that I don't want a divorce, or an annulment. I know she's special, Jazz. I want to get to know her better, maybe even have a future with her. Hell, definitely have a fucking future with her. She's just so stuck on this annulment, and I keep coming up with reasons why I can't go back to Vegas to get one. I need to see her, to talk to her." I buried my face in my hands. I sounded like a raving fool.

I peeked out at Jazz from behind my fingers, gauging his reaction. His mouth was open, his eyebrows high on his forehead. I think I just shocked the shit out of him. I had never given much thought to a future with any girl. Now here I was, trying to figure out a way to keep a relationship with a girl I had known precisely 48 hours (in person). His next words floored me.

"I think you're right, Cullen. She's just what the doctor ordered. What the fuck took you so long to tell me? We've been back in Seattle for two weeks already. I could have had Ali scheming up a way to get you two together."

I felt my brows pull together as I contemplated his words. Should I let the two of them interfere? I had thought I was handling myself well, sending her flowers at least twice a week, chocolate covered strawberries on Friday's... Maybe I was a bit old fashioned, but I had thought that if I could dazzle her with my charm and thoughtfulness she would welcome me with open arms.

I sighed. "OK Jazz. Get your little minx on it. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Oh, I think we can handle that. Especially since she's going to be around a lot in the future. I meant to tell you, she's moving in with me."

* * *

BPOV

I was so mad I could practically feel the steam coming out of my ears. "You WHAT Alice? You can't be serious. How am I supposed to pay the rent on this place by myself? Need I remind you that YOU picked out this ridiculous loft in the first place! Christ, you've only known him for two weeks. TWO WEEKS!" I stormed off into the kitchen, needing to do something with myself before I bludgeoned her to death with the coffee table.

I began pulling things from the cabinet. Flour, sugar, chocolate chips. I moved to the fridge. Eggs, butter. I felt my pulse slow as I began mixing the ingredients in a big bowl, pouring my anger into the batter.

"Bella? Please don't be angry with me. You know how much I love you. We're practically sisters. Talk to me." Her hand on my arm stopped my furious stirring. I tossed the bowl on the counter as I spun towards her.

"Al, you've been my best friend for practically forever. Never once have you been so… so... impulsive. It's irresponsible, really. You barely know him!" I was trembling, my hands curled into fists. I was blinking back tears, even angrier because I hated to cry.

She took my face in her hands, wiping the tears that had leaked from my eyes. "Bella," she said softly as she looked into my eyes, "I know what you're thinking. You know me. I don't do things like this without having thought them out, repeatedly. I have a good feeling about this. I think you're also mad because it's Edward's best friend. Have you even talked to him lately?" She knew exactly where she shouldn't go. And she went there anyway.

I hadn't spoken to Edward for the past four days. I ignored his calls, his emails went unanswered. I could barely stand the sight of the bouquets of freesia and roses that were delivered to my desk twice a week.

I had spent the most amazing weekend of my life with him and ultimately ruined it. Imagine, responsible, sensible Bella getting married on a whim. It was the epitome of everything I was against. I taught my students to make rational decisions, to think carefully about their actions and the consequences before executing them. What a role model I was. I automatically spun the ring I had yet to remove from my finger.

Alice hopped up onto the counter, then dipped her finger in the cookie dough, thoughtfully licking it from her finger. She knew I only made these cookies when I was upset. She swung her legs like a child as she gazed at me, waiting for my answer.

"Al, you know I haven't. I can't! I made such an ass of myself, getting excessively drunk and undoubtedly stupider as the night went on. It was so perfect, like it was from a movie! I ruined the only chance I would have had with him. He's obviously only sending me these things to butter me up so we can get the annulment as soon as he's available to go back." This worried me, the fact that he was constantly too busy.. What did I expect, though, from a pediatrician? If it weren't so awful I would have laughed at the mess I was in.

I pulled a cookie sheet from the cabinet, plopping soft round balls of dough on the metal. I tossed the sheet in the oven, suddenly anxious for the cookies to be done. I needed more time to think. Away from Alice.

She seemed to sense my desire to be alone. She slid off the counter, kissing me on the cheek as she walked by.

"You know where I am, Bella. Come get me when you're ready to talk it out." I watched her walk away, a feeling of self loathing rising in my chest. Why did I keep pushing everyone away?

After eating about fourteen cookies, I felt ready to face my thoughts. I padded to my bedroom, shutting the door and turning on my stereo. I flopped down on my bed, listening for a few minutes to the quiet music coming from my speakers. I knew I needed to talk to Edward but I was scared. I actually didn't want this annulment to happen so quickly. I liked being tied to him.

I thought back over those days in my hotel room, remembering the feel of his hands on my bare skin. I laughed at my boldness in the restaurant, the surprised look on his face when he realized my determination to take him at that moment. He had made me feel so alive, so vibrant under his touch. It was as if he knew my body already, knew exactly what I needed him to give me.

I realized then that I didn't want to give him up but I didn't know how to keep him. I couldn't keep wanting him like this without seeing him eventually. I was mulling this over when a thought hit me from out of the blue.

I should have him come here while Alice was with Jasper this weekend. I could make us dinner and we could talk.

And by talking I mean we could fuck like bunnies. Then maybe we would talk once that was out of the way.

My body had ached for him since the day I had left. I had spent many hours in the steamy shower imagining his hands on my body, finding that he stimulated me in ways no man had ever been able to before. My breath hitched when I visualized his hands cupping my breasts, his stubble tickling my inner thighs as his tongue danced across my most sensitive spot.

I shook myself out of my daydream, knowing that I didn't have time for this right now. I honestly needed to figure out a way to get him here. I picked up my cell, dialing his number with shaky fingers. It was an internal struggle of epic proportions to actually push the "talk" button. Finally, I managed to hit the button, barely missing a huge heart attack in the process. Oh my god, it was ringing.

"Hello? Bella?" God, his voice was sex. Pure, unadulterated sex. I nearly creamed myself at the sound of my name.

"Um, hi, Edward?" Christ this was embarrassing. I was practically reduced to a stammering 12 year old just by the sound of his voice. I swear I heard him sigh. Fuck, now he was probably regretting answering my call.

"I was just wondering if you're not too busy, I mean, you don't have to but, well, Alice is going down to see Jasper this weekend. So... if you don't have anything better to do, I thought you could maybe, you know, come up here? So we could talk?" Wow, Bella. You have superb conversing prowess. I'm such a schmuck. I smacked my hand to my forehead.

"Well, I'm working Saturday till fourish, so I could probably come up after if you don't mind waiting for me. It would be good for us to talk."

His voice was like honey. Velvet dripping with honey. Covered with a liberal dose of ice cream. Thank the good Lord I wasn't speaking out loud.

"Um, yes, that would work for me. How about six? Does that give you enough time?" I stuttered out. Since when was I so nervous to merely talk to him? I had already seen him six shades of naked and performed all sorts of lewd acts on his fantastic body, and I was too nervous to make it through a conversation on the phone?! Pathetic.

"That should be fine, Bella. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Have a good night." I heard him disconnect the call and I heaved a sigh of relief. I jumped up from my bed and flew to the door, flinging it open enough to speed through.

"ALICE! I NEED YOU!" I bellowed repeatedly as I rushed to her room, diving on her bed and probably scaring the living shit out of her. "We have work to do. Edward is coming over on Saturday and I need to be prepared." I took a deep breath, knowing the magnitude of what I was about to say.

"Al, I need you to show me how to keep him."

* * *

**Honestly, I don't know why she's so upset. If I woke up married to Edward, well, suffice it to say I probably would never leave the house. **

**Ever.**

**Who knows the mysterious workings of Bella Swan's brain? Me. So review and I'll crank out that next chapter you're all dying to read.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You guys make me so happy! I can't believe how many hits I've had for this story. I honestly feel honored that anybody even reads it, let alone those of you that make me smile and laugh with your reviews!**

**As always, my many continued thanks to Cyd - i love you, so much, its ridiculous. Thanks for inspiring the butter :) Anybody that HASN'T read Work Hard, Break Easy must be living under a rock - check it out if you haven't yet, you'll laugh and cry and get angry! GREAT story.**

**Go read Eternally Addicted's story "The Game that Changed it All" - freaking fantastic!**

**Ladies, I know I disappointed with that last chapter. Don't worry - I brought Sexward back in all his freaking glory :)**

* * *

The past few days had been a whirlwind of activity. Alice was taking my request very seriously, it appeared. We had started at the salon, a nightmarish day of haircuts, waxing, and nail polish application. Then, she proceeded to drag me into every possible lingerie store in search of the perfect "unmentionables". Her word, not mine.

After that humbling experience, we headed to the mall in search of the perfect outfit. What seemed like two thousand articles of clothing later, we decided on a subtly sexy dress and heels. I still laugh at the mental image of me cooking in heels. That could easily turn into a disaster, knowing my penchant for falling over flat surfaces. Throw in a lit gas range and we had the perfect recipe for a trip to the hospital.

I was standing in front of the range now, in aforementioned dress, minus the shoes, stirring the marinara sauce for tonight's meal. I had stuck to what I knew best, planning a dinner of chicken parmesan with garlic bread, nothing too complicated.

I heard a loud knocking on my door, causing my heart rate to double as I realized he was early. I frantically searched for my shoes, narrowly missing the edge of the counter as I careened toward the living room. I slipped them on, smoothed my dress and went to the door. I paused before opening it, taking a deep, calming breath. I turned the handle and pulled it open, putting on my best sultry smile.

"Bella? What the fuck? Why haven't you returned my calls this time?" Jake blew through the open door, causing it to hit my hip bone painfully. I yelped a little, jumping back a second too late. I rubbed the spot gingerly, hoping in vain it wouldn't leave a mark.

"Uhh, Jake, hi. Now isn't the best time..." I trailed off, blushing as I looked at my apartment, the table perfectly set, candles burning on every flat surface. He was going to know what was going on without me saying a word. I knew how jealous Jake could be, and I didn't want to have to deal with it right now, not with my nerves already on edge.

"Having company, are we? Who's the sorry fucker you sucked in this time, Bells?" he sneered. His huge frame was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. I was in for it now.

"Jake, I'm really not going to talk about this with you. I think you should go." I tried to sound brave, but my voice was barely more than a squeak.

He stalked towards me, grabbing my arms as he towered over me. "I'll leave now, Bells, but we're going to have our little talk soon. You have your fun tonight, but I'll be waiting for you. Don't ever forget that. You're mine." He pushed me back into the wall, leaning town to press a searing hot kiss on my lips. I felt the bile rising in my throat.

I went completely still. The best tactic with Jake was to surrender completely. I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't fight him off, either. That would only excite him further. I felt his hands on my hips, dragging down my thighs. He ground his hips into my stomach, pushing his erection against me. I couldn't help the shudder of disgust that ripped through my body.

He must have misinterpreted that shudder for desire, because he groaned and pressed even harder against me. I kept still.

It dawned on him then that I wasn't participating. He pulled back to stare into my wide eyes, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it in place.

"Don't forget who you belong to, Bells." With that, he turned on his heel and strode out the door.

The tears came freely then, flowing in a black stream down my cheeks, ruining the makeup I had spent an hour perfecting. I slumped down the wall into a ball on the floor, wrapping my arms around my legs. My sobs shook my whole body.

Jake had never been physically violent with me, but he had no qualms about verbally beating me down. It had taken me weeks to build up the courage to leave him, and I was just barely starting to recover from that. It was the main reason I had gone to Vegas in the first place. I needed space to reinforce my decision.

"Bella? Are you here? Some asshole ran into me in the lobby, he was in a hell of a hurry to get out of here. Bella? Bella!" I felt his arms go around me, saw his eyes widen in concern when he took in my dishevelled appearance.

"What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?" His big hands smoothed the hair from my face before wiping my tears away. He sat on the floor next to me and pulled me into his lap, soothing me by rubbing circles on my back.

I clung to him, my arms wrapped around his neck, my head on his chest. The sobs were subsiding, replaced by small hiccupping sounds. When I finally felt able to speak, I took a deep breath.

"You weren't supposed to see me like this!" I huffed. "That was my douche of an exboyfriend, Jake. I'm pretty sure he's who you ran into in the lobby. He gets very... posessive. He surprised me here, saw that I was expecting someone and kind of went off on me. I'm sorry, Edward, I wish you hadn't seen this." I couldn't raise my head, couldn't look him in his eyes. I was sure he would realize I wasn't worth the effort and go screaming from my apartment, never to be seen again.

I felt his cool fingers under my chin, tilting my head up so he could gaze into my eyes. I lost myself in his green stare, feeling my heart rate pick up again.

"Bella. Do not apologize to me for this. None of it is your fault. Are you OK?" His soft voice and concern nearly had me in tears again. My chest felt ready to burst, an alien feeling bubbling up inside me. Throwing reason to the wind, I reacted without thinking.

I pressed my lips to his, turning my body to face his. I wrapped one arm around his waist and threaded the other hand through his hair, pulling his face to mine. My legs went around his hips, pressing my core against his lower stomach. His mouth parted in surprise, and I hungrily licked into it, groaning at the taste of him.

Shaking off the surprise, Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me, pressing his hard chest to mine. His tongue took over, roughly massaging mine before nipping it with his teeth. I moaned again, biting lightly on his lower lip as I ground my hips against him.

I felt him stagger to his feet, my legs still wrapped around his hips, our kiss never breaking. He walked us over to the edge of the table I had set earlier, freeing one arm to sweep the dishes and silverware to the floor. He set me on the table, using that free hand to lift my skirt before plunging two fingers deep inside me. I gasped, arching my back at the almost unbearable sensation flowing through me.

Edward left his assault on my mouth to trail hot, wet kisses down my neck, grazing my collarbone with his teeth, never ceasing his pumping fingers as he brought me closer to my climax. He rasied his head to look me in the eye before he spoke.

"Not yet, Bella. Hold on for me."

I saw him kneel to the ground before me, felt his tongue lapping roughly at my inner thigh. I curled my fingers around the edge of the table, anticipating his next move. He moved my legs so each was positioned over his shoulder, his hands running up from my ankle to knead the muscles in my calves. I waited, anxious to feel his tongue on my most sensitive spot.

Instead, I felt it licking slowly at the spot just where my thigh ended. He slowly moved in, lapping delicately at my folds, never touching my clit. He worked his way from one side to the other, so slow I thought I might die if he held off any longer. Suddenly, I couldn't feel his tongue on me anymore.

I raised my head in confusion, only to feel his hot breath blowing across my clit. The sensation caused me to throw my head back and moan loudly. Finally, so softly I wasn't sure it was truly happening, I felt his tongue touch my clit. The light strokes only caused me to want more. I bucked my hips towards him and heard a soft laugh escape his lips.

"Bella, I asked you to hold on. Let me finish." How I wish he would!

His hot tongue quickly licked up my slit, pushing through the folds. I gasped aloud, the relief so strong I could practically taste it. I felt him close his lips over my clit, massaging around it while his tongue swirled quickly. I saw stars.

My orgasm hit without delay. I had barely begun feeling the familiar tightening in my abdomen before I felt myself clamp down hard, and his fingers returned inside of me, pumping in rhythm with the waves of pleasure. I rode out the ecstacy, breathing hard as his name tumbled from my lips.

"Edward."

He rose to his feet, his erection straining against his zipper. I reached for him, pulling him to me by his belt loops. He leaned down to kiss me, quickly pulling away. I wound my hand in his hair, bringing his face back to mine.

I had never kissed a man after he had gone down on me before; it had always seemed somewhat nasty. With Edward, I was a different woman. I took his top lip between my own, sucking off the juices I had left there. He opened his mouth and I explored his tongue with mine. The taste of myself mingled with his left me breathless.

I quickly had his pants undone and pushed them to the floor, followed by his boxer briefs. I crawled down from the table, intending to take him into my mouth. Edward had other ideas.

"I want to see you bent over this table. I want to look at your beautiful legs and those fucking amazing shoes while I fuck you from behind. Is that what you want, Bella?"

I nodded. What else could I do?

I turned and leaned over the table, stretching my arms to wrap my fingers around the other edge. I heard his sharp intake of breath as I felt him pound into me, stretching me to my limit. He thrust in and out, our skin slapping against each other, filling me to the brim.

I felt him reach one hand around and begin softly stroking my clit, working me into a frenzy. His other hand trailed down my ass to my thigh, gripping it roughly, in stark contrast to the gentle motions he was making with my sensitive bundle.

His touch hardened, pressing firmly as he rubbed small circles around it, bringing me to the precipice of orgasm. I felt him tense behind me, and just as I fell over the edge I heard him yell my name before thrusting into me one more time. I felt his hot cum spurting into me, mixing with mine. He continued pumping me from behind, using his fingers to lengthen my orgasm. When we had both stilled, I felt him pull out from me and gently lift me from the table, turning me towards him.

He sat me in his lap once he had righted a chair, burying his fingers in my hair and holding me close.

"That wasn't why I came here tonight, Bella. I'm sorry for being such an animal." I gazed into his eyes, surprised by the remorse reflected back at me. I laughed.

"Edward, don't worry about it. I was a mess when you got here, and I attacked you! But thank you, anyway. For caring, and for... that." I felt the crimson heat spreading up my face. Had I really just thanked him for having sex with me? I felt like I should, it was that amazing.

"Shit!" I sprung up off his lap, twisting out of his grasp as I tried to run for the stove. I would have made it if it weren't for the chair leg I kicked in my haste. I tumbled to the ground, knocking into the table and causing what little there was left of my place settings to come flying to the ground beside me.

"What? Bella?" Edward gasped out. He was by my side in an instant. "What was that all about?"

"The marinara! There's chicken in the oven!" It must all be ruined by now. How was I going to lure him in with my spectacular cooking ability when I couldn't even remember I was cooking? I climbed over the chair, unsteadily getting to my feet to check on the disaster I called dinner. The chicken was black on the edges and looked like it had been left in the desert for a week, and the marinara was burnt to the pan. Wonderful.

I whirled in surprise when I heard the loud laughter behind me. Edward was doubled over, clutching his stomach, tears rolling down his cheeks. I swear he snorted.

I crossed my arms and turned away, embarassment burning across my face. He was laughing at me.

"Bella." I felt his arms snake around my waist, pulling me close to him. "We can order in or go to a restaurant. We were obviously very distracted. You can prove your skills to me another time. And... you have butter smeared all over your forehead." My mouth dropped open as I slowly raised my hand to my forehead. Yes. Definitely something... buttery up there. I burst out laughing.

I turned in his arms, threading mine around his waist as I looked up with sad eyes.

"Some wife I am." I joked. He stiffened in my arms, a blank mask taking over his face.

"About that, Bella. We should really talk about this tonight." He untangled himself from my embrace, walking to the table and sitting heavily in a chair. He leaned his arm on the table, resting his chin on his fist as he looked at me with caution clouding his beautiful eyes.

I had known, somewhere deep inside me, that he wouldn't want to remain married to me. I had tried this charade from sheer desperation, and it hadn't worked. He didn't want me.

The shrill ringing of my phone interrupted our intense stare. I reached to the counter, fumbling in my bag for my cell. I flipped it open, seeing Alice's name and knowing she wouldn't call tonight unless it was an absolute emergency.

"What, Alice?" I spat. I paid more attention when I heard the panicked sound of her voice, my mouth opening in horror.

"Where are you? Did they take him there too? I'll be right there. No, he's with me. Yes. Bye." I turned to Edward. He was staring at me in confusion.

"We have to go. Alice and Jasper have been in an accident; they're at Seattle Grace. He's been hurt pretty badly."

I watched him digest the news, his face going white as he stood and grabbed his keys. I had my purse over my shoulder and was already halfway out the door by the time he took my hand.

I looked up at him in surprise and saw the anguish burning behind his eyes. I squeezed his fingers gently, letting him know I would be with him, however much comfort that would be. We rushed down the hall together, skipping the elevator in favor of the stairs. He pushed roughly through the door, guiding me to his silver car.

"Was Alice OK?" He asked me as he threw the car in reverse before peeling out of his parking spot. I buckled my seatbelt.

"She didn't say, she just kept saying Jasper was hurt. Hurry, Edward. We need to be there."

With that, he floored it and we were on our way.

* * *

**A/N again: so in RL i'm a nurse, and there is NOTHING hotter than Dr. Edward. Agree? Epic win? I can't wait to see it either! Especially since i dream about running into him on a daily basis at work ;) Reviews may spur me to update a tad faster (or a ton faster) and we all know we want the white coat and stethoscope to come out and play! **

**Yes, that's a bribe. **


	8. Chapter 8

**

* * *

**

A/N: Sooooo I've been struggling with this story, if you couldn't tell by the ever-increasing time between updates. I'm an angsty girl at heart, so writing something fluffy just feels all wrong. Hence the angst creeping up in this chapter.

**I want to thank all the motherfucking fantastic TwiHards that read this and leave me reviews. Some of you have me giggling all day with your silly thoughts! I love it and I love you all!**

**According to Cydryna Marie, there may be the need for a tissue towards the end of this one. You've been warned!**

* * *

Edward drove like an asshole. My fingers probably left permanent dents in the gray leather seats from holding on for dear life.

Once off the highway we made it to the hospital in ten minutes, shaving off another ten by blowing through yellow lights and tapping the brakes at stop signs. I gritted my teeth against each sharp turn, swallowing down my fear.

We had to get there. Now.

He slammed the car in park as we pulled into the valet parking area, throwing his keys at the surprised employee as we raced inside. I tried to keep up with his frantic pace, but my shoes were hard enough to walk in, let alone run full out.

I watched him slam through the doors to the Emergency Department, barely casting a glance at the shocked nurses he nearly plowed over. I saw their expressions change immediately from anger to sympathy; these were his coworkers, his colleagues.

I slowed behind him, my fear of all things medical battling against my terror for Alice and Jasper. I trailed along nervously, knowing he belonged here and I didn't.

I saw him barge through the door to the nurses' station, heard him briskly demand the location of our friends. He charged straight through, grabbing a stethoscope off the desk before slinging it around his neck. He tossed his jacket on the counter and continued down the hall towards a block of rooms.

I followed anxiously, choosing to circle around the employees instead of going straight through as he had done. I distantly noted I was biting my nails, a habit I had spent years trying to break. I hurried along, quickening my pace as he rounded a corner before vanishing from my sight.

I heard her before I saw her.

"Oh, God, Edward! You're finally here. I didn't know what to do, it all happened so fast, I, I, oh God..." I saw Alice throw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. I raced to her side, rubbing circles on her back as I tried to pry her off of him.

"Al, honey, let him deal with this now. He needs to check on Jazz. We'll stay right out here while they work, OK? Edward will keep us posted on everything." I searched his eyes with mine, noting the flash of despair before the determination quickly took its place. He nodded slightly before dropping his arms and hurrying into the room behind us.

I took Alice to a nearby bench, coaxing her to sit and tell me what had happened. She grasped my hands in hers tightly before taking a deep breath.

"Bella, it was horrible. We were on our way to dinner." She turned to look at me. I could see her fighting back a sob. "We were laughing and talking at a red light. It turned green and he drove forward, but apparently some douche ran a red light and slammed into his side of the car. I didn't even see it coming! I don't remember much after that till we got here, I think I blacked out. What if he's not okay? Oh God, Bells, I don't know what I'll do. He's everything I ever wanted. I'm falling so hard for him. He has to be okay. He will be, right?"

Her sobs broke through with heart wrenching emotion. I wrapped my arms around her, only just now noticing the bandage on her forehead. I saw some dried blood in her hair and gasped, holding her tighter. I whispered vague assurances to her as I rocked us back and forth on the bench.

"Bella? Can you just peek in there for me? I have to know what's going on but I can't bear to see him like this." Her face was twisted in agony, fresh tears spilling from her eyes making new trails down her face. I nodded.

I hesitantly approached Jasper's room, looking around to see if I could spot Edward. I saw him leaning over Jasper, listening intently to his chest with his stethoscope. There were tubes everywhere, an IV in his arm, oxygen tubing in his nose, a tube coming from the side of his chest to a weird bubbling box on the floor. Just then, Edward spotted me and approached me quickly, pulling the earpieces from his ears.

"Bella, it's pretty bad. The force of the crash caused him to bleed into his chest, he has a broken collarbone and leg, and a lot of scrapes and bruises. From what I've been told, Alice hit her head pretty hard and passed out for a while. I'm going to need to stay here with Jazz for the night to make sure he's stable. I can't leave him like this. I need you to keep an eye on Alice; she's well enough to go home, but just make sure to wake her every few hours. I'll give you a sheet of things to look out for with her. Can you do this for me?" His green eyes were dull, holding none of the sparkle I had seen just hours before.

I knew he was upset, but it was impossible to tell from his demeanor. Ever the cool and unruffled doctor, he shoved his pain down to deal with later while he cared for his patient. I didn't like to see him this way. I searched his eyes for a moment, finding none of his suffering and all of his indifference. I reached out, placing one hand against his cheek. His eyes closed briefly as he leaned into my hand, immediately taking the comfort I was offering.

"Edward, I doubt she'll leave the hospital. We'll be out in the waiting area for a while at least, so let me know if anything changes. I'll be here if you need me." I didn't know what I could possibly do for him now, but I wanted him to know I wasn't going anywhere. That was his best friend lying battered in the room behind us, and I knew there would come a point when he would need someone to be there for him.

I would be here for him. In whatever way he could possibly need me, I would always be here.

**EPOV**

I pinched the bridge of my nose, a subconscious habit I had picked up from my father. I heaved an aggravated sigh, heading around Jasper's bed to check his chest tube output for the hundredth time this hour. Noting on his chart that there had been another hundred milliliters return, I frowned. He shouldn't still be putting out this much blood.

I flipped through his chart, checking his medical history. I smirked when I saw the entry mentioning the titanium pins in his right ankle; the memory of that day always made me laugh, right before I would cringe.

We were nineteen that summer and hell bent on impressing Kate and Irina. We met them at the camp our parents dragged us to every year. Jasper had snuck out a few bottles of liquor from his parents' camper and we all sat around getting completely shitfaced in the woods. We were working it pretty hard with the ladies, each trying to best each other to impress them.

Jasper had jumped up on a fallen tree, making loud proclamations of his superiority. Kate and Irina were giggling and whispering back and forth to each other, taking turns drinking from the vodka bottle we had given them. Jasper was waving his arms around, slurring something about watching him perform the most amazingest, fucking stellar fucking back flip anyone had ever seen. At least I think that's what he said, as I was also completely drunk at this point.

Jasper put his bottle on the tree and shushed us. We all sat obediently and watched as he made a great show of turning around and placing his feet just so on the edge of the tree. He bent his knees and pushed off hard, his body flipping up in a lazy circle in the air.

His feet hit the ground with a sickening crunch. He had landed with one foot on a rock and fell motionless to the ground. We all sat stunned for a moment before rushing over to see if he was still breathing. I saw how his face had gone sickly white, his skin covered with a light sheen of sweat. He sat up finally, and starting hollering about his foot.

I helped him up onto the tree trunk to sit, trying not to laugh. Of course the stupid ass would have hurt himself! What kind of idiot jumps off a tree trunk to do a back flip completely fucked up?! I sobered quickly when I saw his leg. His foot wasn't where it should be: it was to the side and behind his ankle. I knew immediately it was at _least_ dislocated.

The girls were hysterical, holding each other and crying, saying stupid things like, "Just fix it, Edward. You can put it back, right?"

Wrong.

I threw Jasper over my back and staggered us out of the woods. I opened the door to my father's Volvo and threw him onto the back seat. The look on our fathers' faces was priceless when I appeared, sweaty and reeking of alcohol, demanding they take us to the hospital immediately.

He had needed reconstructive surgery and multiple pins and screws. It took him months to be able to walk without a limp. Stupid ass.

I looked up at him now, sedated and sleeping. The scratches and bruises on the side of his face looked extremely painful, and that was the least of his injuries. His broken ribs and collapsed lung could be very serious, and the broken leg and collarbone would impair his mobility significantly. I sighed again, cursing the stupid driver that had plowed into his car.

Jasper's eyelids fluttered open just then, and I went to his side to see if he could talk to me.

"Hey Jazz. How you doin'?" His eyes floated over to me and focused after a few seconds. He smiled weakly before swallowing hard.

"Eddie... not great." His voice was raspy, and talking sent him into a horrific coughing fit. I watched his eyes widen in pain as he clutched his chest with each breath. It took a few minutes but he finally got it under control before speaking again. He stared hard into my eyes before breathing one word. "Alice?"

I saw the concern for her in his eyes. I had seen Jazz with his previous girlfriends, had known most of them pretty well. Not one of them held a candle to the way he felt about Alice.

The flight home from Vegas had been torture. He wouldn't shut up about her! Not that I minded his finally finding someone great, but I didn't need to know every single detail of their time together. Even lately he had been rambling on and on about Ali this and Ali that, how they were destined to be together or some shit.

I was happy for them, I truly was. I just hoped that my situation with Bella would end up on a similarly positive note. She was basically the dream girl I had envisioned for years. The kind of girl you brought home to Mom, but could also give you a run for your money. I had never imagined when I met her, that sweet, unassuming creature, that she would be such a sexually uninhibited vixen. She fulfilled my every need.

I nodded to Jasper and told him I would go find her and bring her to see him now. He nodded back as his eyes drifted closed. I watched him carefully for a moment before turning to find the girls, noting on my way out that his chest tube had drained even more blood.

I searched around the waiting room for Bella, knowing that Alice would never be out of her sight now. I didn't see her beautiful face anywhere. I headed for the vending machines, remembering Alice's penchant for sweets from her past few days here at the hospital. I heard them before I saw them.

"Bella, you have to talk to him. You can't let this go on forever and you know that. He deserves to know."

"Al, let me do this on my time. Focus on Jasper right now and let me deal with my own situation!"

I rounded the corner, nearly knocking Alice onto her ass. "Ladies, I was wondering if I might borrow you for a minute. Alice, Jasper is awake and asking for you. Bella, I wanted to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind." Alice took off towards Jasper's room, entering the code for the ICU door before barreling through it.

I led Bella to an alcove with a seat in it, barely sitting down before I heard the page.

"Code Blue, ICU bed 5. Code Blue, ICU bed 5."

"Jasper." I whispered to myself, then jumped up and sprinted to the door, fighting with the keypad before finally punching in the code.

I swung the door open and rushed to bed 5, pushing nurses and orderlies out of my way. I stepped through the door to see Dr. Crowly climbing onto the bed before straddling Jasper as he began furious compressions on his chest.

I heard a gasp behind me and turned to see Bella, her face white and her eyes full of tears. I saw Alice in the corner of the room, sobbing silently and wringing her hands. I shouted to Bella, "Get Alice the fuck out of here!" I turned back to my best friend, my brother, dying in front of me. I strode up to his bed, pushing Dr. Crowley off of him before climbing up to take his place. I fisted my left hand and wrapped my right over it, pushing down with all my strength on Jasper's chest, willing his heart to beat.

"Get a milligram of epi in NOW! Somebody get him tubed!" I was barking orders while rhythmically slamming his chest. I couldn't lose him. I was a fucking doctor for Christ's sake. I continued my frantic compressions, demanding Crowley to tell me what his rhythm was.

"He's in V Fib, Edward. I have the defib charging. CLEAR!"

I jumped off the bed just before Crowley administered the shock, Jasper's body twitching lifelessly in response. I eyed his monitor, noting the line had become flat. I muttered "come on, come on" under my breath, praying for him to return to a regular rhythm. The flat line continued.

"Get me some atropine, stat! Resuming compressions!"

* * *

**OMG I know. I'm an assbag for leaving it here! Don't hate me!**

**Weird because Jasper is one of my absolute favorite characters.**

**STORY PIMPAGE: Work Hard, Break Easy by Cydryna Marie. That story kicks motherfucking ass and is so fuckawesome i dont even know what to do! (sorry about the rampant use of the f-bomb but i've been reading Wide Awake - updates are amazing - and it just somehow slipped back into my vocab). The Game that Changed it All by eternallyaddicted - just getting started but oooo i love me some tight white baseball pants! Also if you're into the angsty thing, Sweet Relief by Miss Snazzy is pretty fuckawesome as well. She loves the mindfuckery so be ready to get super confused - but its totally worth it, I promise!**

**as always, reviews may fuel my tired brain to spit out the next chapter faster. xoxoxo all :)**


	9. Chapter 9

****

A/N: OMGOMGOMG two updates in three days! unfuckingbelievable! see what your reviews do to me?!

**OK so we all know i'm in love with Cydryna Marie. Cyd - you're the claire to my quil bb - keep your chin up!**

**I now have a few other loves. take-me-to-fantasy and cathy34, you two are single handedly making sure i get no work accomplished during the day. if i get fired, i'm moving in with one of ya's. just a heads up.**

* * *

BPOV

I watched in horror as Edward jumped on Jasper, pumping his chest wildly. I heard him shouting orders, saw the nurses and other doctors scurrying around silently, pushing medications through his IV, squeezing air into his lungs, preparing to shock him again. I grabbed Alice's arm, pulling her with all my strength through the door.

"You don't need to watch this, Alice."

She tugged against me, standing on her toes to get a better look.

"Bella, that's the man I love! I can't walk away now! What if he dies?!" The look on her face was pure agony. I knew it would be burned into my brain for the rest of my life. I wrapped my arms around her and crushed her to my chest, using my extra few inches to hide her face with my shoulder. I understood she wanted to be here, but I couldn't fathom how she could watch.

I heard someone shout "CLEAR!" and the room fell deathly silent.

Then, a beep.

Another beep.

Another beep.

I turned slowly, recognizing the sound from any number of TV shows and movies.

It was his heartbeat.

I gazed into the room, dumbfounded. Alice pulled away from me and ran to his side, pushing through the throng of people with force I didn't know she had.

Edward's eyes were transfixed on the monitor, watching every beat as if his own life depended on it. I saw him let out a slow breath before a huge grin lit up his face. Alice looked up at him with reverence, whispering a muted thank you as she took Jasper's hand in her own.

I backed out of the room as most of the employees left, wanting to give Edward and Alice some privacy with Jasper. I was dimly aware that I was heading for "our couch" in the waiting room; it seemed as if we spent all our time here. I sat heavily and closed my eyes, running the events of the past hour over in my head. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

I heard footsteps approaching and I quickly swiped at my eyes, removing the tears that had leaked unbidden.

Alice stood in front of me, her eyes tired, her smile not quite reaching them.

"The nurses kicked us all out so they could straighten him up. You should go find Edward; he's probably pretty shaken up."

I nodded absently, already wondering where he could be.

"I saw him head into a room down the hall." She knew me well enough to know what I was thinking.

I jumped up and walked quickly towards where I thought he would be. I heard a sigh from a room on my left and made my way in, seeing his slumped form on the edge of the bed, his face in his hands. I climbed on the bed behind him, wrapping my arms around his chest. I felt his body tense in my embrace as I pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. He threw my arms off of him, tearing himself away from me.

"Get the fuck off of me!" His rough voice startled me; I froze in place as he stalked across the room to the furthest corner.

My mind was racing, my thoughts jumbled as I tried to imagine what I had done to make him so angry.

Suddenly, he spun around to face me. His face was red, his eyes bloodshot and furious.

"This has to stop. Right here, right now. If I hadn't met you in Vegas, if I hadn't been so stupid and reckless, if I hadn't been _fucking_ _you_, if I had used my brain for even half a second, _if I hadn't fucking MARRIED you, _none of this would have happened! You girls show up in our lives out of nowhere, with your seduction and your mindfuckery. Jasper could barely think straight after meeting Alice! And if I hadn't been so busy _bending you over a table_ today, I would have been here. If it weren't for the two of you, you... _sluts_, he never would have been in that fucking car in the first place!"

The air whooshed out of my lungs as if I had been punched in the stomach. I felt like I had. As if on cue, my anger raged up inside me, turning my face red and causing my eyes to fill with tears. My hands balled into fists at my sides.

"HOW DARE YOU?! Sluts?! How are we any different than you? Well? How can you blame me for this? Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I flung the words at him, unleashing the full force of my anger. "Don't you _dare_ say a word of that to Alice. She loves him!! If you want to be mad at me for screwing up your little world, go ahead Edward. But I'll be fucking _damned_ if I let you hurt Alice like that. Go fuck yourself, you sorry little prick."

I stormed out of there, hell bent on finding Alice and getting her away from him. I couldn't bear it if he were to go off on her, not after watching the man she loved almost die. I made it to his room in record time, skidding to a stop in front of his door. I took a few deep breaths to calm down before I went to her side.

"Al, we need to talk. Can you come out here for a minute?" She looked so torn, her eyes moving quickly from his face to mine before finally nodding. We made our way to the hall, standing just outside the door so she could still watch him.

"Al, Edward and I just got into it. I'm done with him, and I don't want you to have to deal with the fallout. He said some awful things about us. Just please be careful around him. Don't give him the opportunity to bitch you out too, ok?"

She looked at me hard, really looking at me for the first time tonight. "What happened before you two got here?"

I groaned, hating that she could see right through me. I really didn't want to get into this now, not after he had just ripped me apart.

"He walked in on me having a mental breakdown after a run-in with Jake. He tried to comfort me and I attacked him. We had the most fabbaliciously fuckawesometastic sex in the history of the universe, I ended up with butter on my face, and then you called and we came here." Her eyes widened at the mention of the sex, and got even bigger when I mentioned the butter. There I go with the word vomit again.

"So... why do you look like someone just ripped your heart out of your chest?" She was bound and determined to finish what he had started, to rip me apart and leave me to die, figuratively speaking. Her arms were crossed, her foot tapping quickly against the floor. I rolled my eyes and dove in.

"He just blamed me for this entire fucking mess. Our stupid, idiotic marriage, Jasper getting hurt, it's all my fault according to him. He told me he's done with me. He... he... he called me a slut." I barely whispered the last line, ashamed to have that word associated with me in any way. I raised my eyes from her foot, which had suddenly stopped moving. I noticed every muscle in her body was tense, and as I finally connected with her eyes, I was afraid.

For Edward.

"HE WHAT?! That fucker! That stupid, lowlife, sorry excuse for a man FUCKER! Where the fuck is he?!" Alice took off down the hall, yelling like a lunatic. Luckily, most of it was unintelligible, just a jumble of sounds. Occasionally, she would emphasize something even more loudly. Bursts of "FUCK!" and "DOUCHEBAG!" and "LIMP-DICKED" hung in the air, the staff staring at this tiny woman causing such a ruckus. I almost stopped to help one doctor pick his jaw up off the floor but thought better of it.

I caught up to her at the end of the hallway, pushing her into a closet and shutting the door behind us.

"Alice. Stop. Right. Now." I growled. "You are NOT going to push this. LEAVE HIM ALONE." I stared her down, putting the full force of my anger into it. She had named this look in the past: the Boz stare. She said it literally sucked all the joy and happiness out of you, leaving you stranded in darkness.

"Bella, cut it out. Don't Boz me." She heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"No, Al. I mean it. You're going to have to see him a lot if you're going to keep visiting Jasper here. I don't want you to make this more difficult than it needs to be. He and I are through, period, the end." I closed my eyes, trying to reign in the depression threatening to take over me. I felt her hand wrap around mine and she gave a gentle tug, pulling me back into the hall.

"Bells, take my car and go home. I'll call you if anything here changes." Her eyes were soft, the sympathy obvious. I nodded, taking the keys from her outstretched hand before walking dejectedly towards the exit.

* * *

EPOV

I used to hate that beeping. I remember back in my residency years stealthily moving from one room to the next, silencing all the monitors.

Now it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

Aside from Bella's laugh. Her throaty moans during sex. The way she said my name.

I couldn't bear to think of the look on her face when I had placed the blame square on her skinny little shoulders. I had acted on impulse, lashing out blindly, not caring who I hurt.

At the time, I had sincerely believed that if she and Alice hadn't come into our lives, none of this would have happened. Now... I wasn't so sure. I had seen enough as a doctor to know better. It could have been me in the car with him instead of Alice.

I had stayed away from his room for the remainder of the night after receiving a rather frightening look from her.

She never left his side. I was starting to believe that what Bella had said was true; that Alice did love Jasper.

I rubbed my eyes, exhausted physically and mentally after the night's events. I knew I was wrong to have said those things to Bella. I didn't blame her for leaving. Hell, I wouldn't blame her if I went outside and found my tires slashed and paint keyed. I was a motherfucking asshole.

I knew I had ruined whatever we had between us single handedly. I had to hand it to her, though. She gave it right back to me, surprising me with her ferocity. I hadn't been able to respond, shocked beyond all thought at what had come out of my mouth. My mother would have my fucking _head_ if she knew I had called a woman a slut.

Not just any woman, either. My fucking _wife_.

Christ.

I didn't mean to lose control with her. I was so furious, so consumed by pure rage that I hadn't stopped to think. I realized now that I should have been happy, ecstatic even, after just saving my own best friend. Fuck, he had _died_ and I brought him back. I should have been tap dancing and singing show tunes. But no, I turned on the one girl that held my heart and buried her.

I couldn't leave it like this. I had to fix things between us. A plan began forming in my mind, unfolding and exposing itself to me. I couldn't let her go like this. I would get her back.

I needed help.

I went to find Alice.

She was sitting next to Jasper's bed, exactly where I thought she would be. I could see her love for him in the way she gazed at his sleeping form, the way she stroked his arm, or gasped if he twitched. I was mesmerized by it.

She must have felt my presence. As she realized it was me watching them, the warmth left her eyes, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. I knew then that Bella had told her what I had done.

This was not going to be easy.

She stood, leaning over to smooth Jasper's hair from his forehead before placing a gentle kiss there. I watched her warily as she approached, looking at me like I was a piece of shit stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

I was.

I followed her to the hallway, figuring it would be best to let her say her piece before I started asking for favors. She stopped and leaned against the wall, staring hard into my eyes.

She didn't say a word.

She said it all with her eyes.

I began to feel extremely uncomfortable, similar, I suppose, to how you would feel if you were to get between a mother bear and her cub. I was frightened, nervous, and ready to shit my pants.

She arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow at me, and stayed silent. I took a deep breath.

"I fucked up." I figured that pretty much summed up the whole situation.

She laughed. Not a happy, you're-so-cute laugh. It was a you-don't-know-the-fucking-half-of-it laugh, hard and biting.

I flinched. "Alice, I don't know why I flipped the fuck out. All I know is that she's the one girl that's ever made me feel this way, and I just went and fucked it all to hell. I need her, Alice. Imagine what you'd do if Jasper ever walked away from you. What wouldn't you do to get him back?"

She was uncomfortable now, looking everywhere but at me, tapping her foot nervously on the linoleum. She crossed and uncrossed her arms, shifting her weight back and forth from one leg to the other. Finally, she sighed.

"What do you need me to do?"

Inside, I did a crazy polka dance. Outside, I just gave her a slight smile before explaining my plan.

* * *

BPOV

My face was sticky. I had cried the minute I sat in Alice's car, loud, heaving sobs. I gave in to that for a few minutes before finally calming myself enough to drive home. It was a long ride.

Every damn song on the radio was a love song. I had searched frantically through Al's CD collection, finally finding an old My Chemical Romance album and popping it in the player.

I had dragged myself out of the car once back in Forks. I'm not sure how I made it up the stairs and into the loft; I don't really remember it. I know I threw on a pair of sweats and a ratty old t-shirt before climbing into my bed with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. That shit could cure cancer.

I tried not to think about him, I really did, but I couldn't help it. I kept hearing his words, over and over, making me cringe.

_...you sluts..._

_...bending you over a table..._

_...if I hadn't met you..._

_...if I hadn't MARRIED you..._

When the ice cream was gone, I tossed the container on my nightstand. I flung myself back onto my bed, crushing the heels of my hands into my eyes. I couldn't deal with this right now.

I dragged myself out of bed and went to brush my teeth. I saw myself in the mirror and groaned. My face was blotchy, my nose red and swollen. I splashed water on my face and quickly finished my nightly routine. I crawled back into my bed, resolved on what I needed to do.

As soon as I woke up, I would call a lawyer.

I needed him out of my life.

I was getting a divorce.

* * *

**NOOOOOOOO! Don't do it, Bella! I mean, yes, hes Assward in this chapter, but seriously. THAT IS EDWARD FUCKING CULLEN!**

**you dont divorce him!**

**anyway i hope you all had a fucktastical time reading this. alice told me there's going to be a lemon coming up in a few chapters. **

**you'll never catch me betting against alice!**

**reviews = faster updates = lemonicioustasticness!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: omgomgomg chapter 10!!! when i started this, i never thought anybody would read it. i also never expected to actually write 10 chapters! i feel so accomplished lol :) **

**you guys BLEW ME AWAY with reviews to the last chapter. you keep me cracking up and checking my crackberry like a lunatic. i swear, i cant even pee without taking it in case i get a review. its actually borderline disturbing. anywho...**

**much love to my crazy ladies, cyd - love you to pieces, youre the hair to my head :) jeeb - omg bff? really? woo hoo! cathy34 - i love our transatlantical fuckawesomeness: you are a fabulous lady! take-me-to-fantasy: does this get me out of the dungeon yet??**

* * *

BPOV

I woke up groggy and confused. What the hell had happened last night?! I knew Jasper had nearly died, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that Edward had flipped out on me.

Not to mention what he had actually said.

Sluts.

Was he fucking kidding me?!

The worst part was that I actually thought he was partially right. I mean, how could I expect him to think anything different? I had thrown myself at him immediately after meeting him in Vegas. He had no way of knowing that wasn't a normal routine for me.

It made sense, but it didn't make me feel better. It still didn't change that he was wrong to say that in the first place.

Although, when I really sat down and thought about it (which I did for nearly three hours), I realized something else entirely. Edward and I had never really talked.

Sure, we had the "twenty questions" time in the helicopter, but how well could you really get to know someone that way? I knew he loved chicken lo mein, his favorite time of day was twilight, and he hated being called "Eddie". Was that enough to base a meaningful relationship on? I wasn't sure.

It seemed like we had always forgone the conversation for the sex. Mindblowingly fuckawesome sex, true, but that wasn't exactly the old fashioned way of getting to know someone. Unless you mean the biblical sense.

We were supposed to talk last night. Instead, I had a mini breakdown, got my face mashed in butter and ruined half a dozen plates as they shattered on the floor. The sad thing was, I didn't even mind. I would sacrifice all my plates for sex that good.

I called Alice around lunchtime to check on Jasper. She reported that he was doing well; the doctors had said he was now stable. I was breathing a sigh of relief when she ever-so-casually mentioned he-who-shall-not-be-named.

"Edward came by today, Bells. He seems pretty distraught about what he said to you last night. You gonna talk to him?"

I actually pulled the phone away from my ear to glare at it before answering. "Do you honestly think he deserves anything from me? If he feels so bad he can call me and apologize like a man."

She snickered. "Well, I have the feeling he's going to be pretty receptive to whatever demands you choose to make. He's been hovering around here all day, asking me all these covert questions about whether I'd heard from you yet, if you made it home safely last night, if you were prone to holding grudges, you know, the usual."

My eyes widened at the last part. "He didn't! Are you serious? He thinks this is going to be a GRUDGE?! For fuck's sake, Al. He called us sluts! That isn't going to cause a simple grudge. That causes contempt, disdain, scorn, fucking look it up in the dictionary. That delusional fucking bastard!"

I heard the tinkle of her laughter become muffled as if she had her hand in front of her mouth. I waited for her to respond, taking the time to try and slow my racing heart and ragged breathing.

"Bells, I should go. Jasper just woke up and I want to talk with him before they take him for more testing. I'll call you tonight, OK?"

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I was fuming at Edward; how dare he sneak around behind my back and try to get my best friend to give him information?! If he were truly a man, which I was seriously contemplating at this point, he would come to me and apologize.

I had made my decision, and he had just solidified it for me. I flopped down on my couch and took out my laptop, googling "divorce lawyer Washington". About a million results showed on my screen; after a few clicks, I had narrowed it down to just lawyers in the immediate area.

I clicked on the entry for J. Jenks, Esq. and checked out his webpage. I wasn't sure how to find out if someone was any good or not, so I just called his office. What the hell, right?

After speaking to his obviously knowledgeable secretary, I had an appointment set up for later that week. I just prayed I had the balls to show up.

Three weeks. Three long, silent fucking weeks. Edward hadn't called, showed up, or returned any of my texts or emails regarding the divorce papers. I had asked Mr. Jenks to forward them directly to Edward after I had signed them. That afternoon we got a call stating that Dr. Cullen would be having his legal counsel review the documents to ensure their fairness and legality. Fucking Christ. He had those papers for three fucking weeks!

I went about my business as usual, working extra hours at school to attempt to distract myself from my less than stellar social life. Ever since Al had moved out of the loft and I had relocated to this new house, it seemed as if all I did was vegetate on the couch watching "Family Guy" or surf the net on my computer.

I had found a great little house on a quiet street not far from where my dad's house was. It was quaint, a little Cape with two bedrooms at a great price. There was a gigantic tree outside my window, and a really sweet older lady living next door had made me brownies to welcome me to the neighborhood.

It was lonely.

Al had invited me down a few times, and I went once, convincing myself it was strictly to check on Jasper. Edward must have known I would be there, because he wasn't. Not surprising, but still disappointing for some odd reason.

I knew I was still attracted to him and that I didn't really want things to end this way. I fought my internal battle daily, knowing that I couldn't stand for being treated the way I had been, but still wanting to be with Edward. I missed him and I hated myself for it.

I had returned home from work late today, exhausted from a full week of working and deluding myself. That shit is tiring. I threw my Chinese takeout on the table and dragged myself to the bedroom to change into my sweats. I felt so pathetic; 28 years old with nothing to do on a Friday night, and no one to do nothing with me. Thank God for egg rolls.

The rain crashed against the roof, heightening the desolate feeling of the house. I had tried my best to make it feel like home but nothing worked. I ran around, checking that all the windows were closed against the storm raging outside.

I grabbed a book of Sudoku puzzles to work on while I ate and resigned myself to becoming an old spinster. I laughed mirthlessly as I realized that all I needed was a cat and I could completely let myself go.

I was almost finished with my third puzzle and my carton of crab rangoon when the doorbell scared the shit out of me. I jumped up, knocking over my chair and spilling duck sauce all over the table. I took a moment to regroup before cautiously making my way to the door.

I nearly shit my pants again when I realized what I was looking at. The two small windows at the top of the door allowed me to see wet tufts of dark bronze hair sticking out in every direction. What. The. Fuck. I spun on my heel and headed back for the kitchen, deciding that he could wait in the rain for a little while until I was done eating. If he left, I would know how he really felt. The doorbell rang again.

I munched on my last teriyaki chicken skewer, feeling more and more guilty about leaving the man I was so torn up over standing in the pouring rain.

Finally, I hurried to the bathroom to check that I didn't have any remnants of dinner in my teeth before going to open the door. I straightened out my tank and sweats as best I could, knowing I didn't look as stunning as I would have preferred, but not caring enough to change. I threw open the door and immediately let out a traitorous giggle.

Edward was fucking _soaked_. Water dripped from his hair, down his face and off his nose. His shirt was plastered to his body, which I would have found extremely fucking sextastic if it weren't for his being a douche bag. He had a pained expression on his face, as if he knew what he were in for from me.

I crossed my arms in front of me as I leaned against the doorjamb, arching one eyebrow at him in invitation to speak first. I was actually excited to hear what he had to say, especially after seeing him looking like a drowned rat. A gorgeous rat, but a rat nonetheless.

"May I come in?" His voice was taught, gravelly, and ridiculously sexy. I simply shook my head in response, enjoying my warm, dry spot in front of him. His eyebrows pulled down to match the frown on his perfect mouth. He raised his hands in front of him, and I noticed the battered bouquet of flowers for the first time. Another giggle snuck out.

"Bella, come on. I'm soaked and I'm fucking freezing out here. We need to talk about what happened at the hospital. Are you seriously not going to let me in?"

My relaxed posture instantly tensed, my hands clenching into fists as I drew my arms against my sides.

"You just don't get it, do you? You called me a fucking _slut, _Edward. Not only me, but my best friend as well. You don't even have the balls to apologize, do you? You stand there, complaining about the rain and the cold, expecting me to just let you into my house? Fuck that!" It felt so good to finally yell at him. I hadn't realized just how much I needed to get this off my chest.

"Where I come from, real men don't make comments like that to women they're in relationships with. Now, I realize we may not have your standard relationship, but that does NOT excuse your actions. That was bullshit, Edward. I didn't deserve that and you know it." I felt hot tears pricking at my eyes and willed them back. I didn't want him to see me cry over this.

His face twisted in pain at my words, his hands reaching out for me but stopping just short of where I stood. He let them fall quickly back to his sides, but not before I noticed the thin band surrounding his left ring finger. Almost involuntarily, I took a step towards him, reaching for his hand to prove to myself that he was still wearing the wedding band we had bought in Vegas.

I barely noticed the rain drenching my clothes and hair as I brought his hand closer to my face, softly tracing the ring with my finger. I looked up into his eyes, rain washing over my face. He looked so, so sad.

I dropped his hand instantly, sidestepping away from him to the railing. I turned away, fighting the urge to take him in my arms and comfort him. I ran through the hurtful things he had said to me the last time we spoke, and my resolve strengthened again.

"Bella, I came here to apologize. I am truly sorry for ever speaking to you in that manner. I wasn't in the right frame of mind; I had just seen my best friend nearly die. I apologize for lashing out at you, for hurting you, for avoiding you the way I did. I never intended for this to happen; it wasn't supposed to be like this," his voice trailed off, and I heard him muttering things under his breath. I could have sworn I heard him say "you always hurt the ones you love" but I knew that couldn't have come from his mouth.

I shook my head to clear it, pushing my wet hair back from my face. "Tell me one thing. Why didn't you just sign the damn papers? Do you honestly think I would try to take anything from you?"

He sighed, tossing the flowers on the steps before taking a seat beside them.

"I'll sign the damn papers tonight when I get home if that's what you want. I just needed to see you before I did it."

His face was illuminated by bright headlights pulling into my driveway. A hulking figure slid out of the truck before jogging to the steps, skidding to a stop right in front of us. Even from my perch on the top step, the man was inches taller than me. His head tilted back and I saw his face under the hood of his sweatshirt.

"Hey, Bells. Who's this?" he asked me, gesturing to Edward, who had risen from his seat on the bottom step.

"Jacob Black, Edward Cullen. Edward, Jake. What do you want?" He took in my frigid stance with one look before immediately going on the defense.

"Is this guy hassling you, Bells? I can get him outta here if you want. Tell me you want me to. He looks like he'd be fun." Jake's eyes lit up at the thought of a fight. His hands rubbed together as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Edward eyed him warily before turning to face me.

"Shut up, Jake. I've told you a hundred times: we're over. Get the fuck away from my house!" I was getting really aggravated with his tendency to show up at the worst times. "Get it through your fucking head, Jacob! I'm done with you!"

"Bella, who's this dog? This is Jake? Wow, man, you're a legend from what I hear. How could you fuck up so completely with Bella? It's not like there's anything better out there." Edward flipped the words out so casually that it took me a minute to realize what he had said. He stared Jake down with narrowed eyes and a smirk on his lips.

I threw my hands up in the air, shaking my head as I walked back through my front door.

"You two assholes go ahead and beat the shit out of each other for me, OK? I'm not thrilled with either one of you right now. I'm cold and wet and I'm going inside. Don't bother ringing or knocking; I'm not coming back out here until you're both gone."

I slammed the door behind me, throwing the dead bolt before rushing to shut all the curtains. I heard their raised voices, muffled by the rain pounding against the glass. I saw them facing each other, gesturing wildly before sliding the curtains shut. Serves them both right.

I turned on my stereo, blasting music to drown them out and headed upstairs to take a hot shower. I shed my soaked clothes, wondering what had possessed me to go out there in the first place. The hot water soothed my chilled skin, and I stood under the spray for a long time after soaping up and washing my hair. I didn't want to face the two idiots outside, so I took extra time toweling off and applying lotion to my waterlogged skin before brushing my hair out.

I put on another pair of sweats and a clean shirt before heading downstairs to turn off the lights. I peeked outside, noting with both satisfaction and disappointment that both men had left. I shut off the stereo and wearily climbed the stairs. As I climbed into bed, I noticed the rain had let up significantly. I reached over to crack my window before turning off the light and wrapping myself in my comforter. I was out seconds after my head hit the pillow.

I was awakened suddenly by shouts and flashing lights. I sat up quickly, confused and scared. I clutched the blankets to my chest and leaned forward to peer out the window next to my bed.

I saw police cars parked in Mrs. Silva's driveway, lights flashing red and blue. Officers were swarming under the tree by my window, yelling something up into the branches. I saw a tangle of arms and legs clinging to a branch not ten feet from my window. I gasped as I saw the branch give way, a man falling to the ground along with it.

It couldn't be.

It was.

The police were all over him, cuffing his wrists as they pressed him into the grass on his stomach. He was yelling expletives loudly as I leaned further out the window to watch. He looked up at my window suddenly, causing me to pull back jerkily to avoid being seen. I flew out of bed, throwing a sweatshirt on before heading downstairs. I was tying my hair into a messy knot as I reached the back door, peering out the window just in time to see Edward loaded into the back of a police cruiser.

* * *

**AAAAAND its me again :) i know this wasnt much by way of sexin, but its leading us there, dont worry! thanks again for reading, and thanks in advance for all the fantastic reviews! i love you all sooooo much**

**the new tagline:**

**X's and O's for all my bitches and hoes :) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Surprise! I didn't even know I was going to post this chapter till I sat down to write it today. RL has been nuts - I got a boxer puppy named Bruschi a week ago and he's taking up all my time! I felt awful though, and under threats of harm (TMTF - stop cracking your knuckles!) I decided while he took a nap to bust out a chapter. **

**Yes, it's short. Yes, it's totally fucking worth it. Bella is the SHIT in this chapter!**

* * *

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

My fucking father just arrested my fucking husband after he fell out of a fucking tree while peeping in my motherfucking window.

Holy fucking hell.

My dad had helped Edward into his cruiser before sending a deputy over to drive him to the station. I dropped the curtain and stepped back, pressing my back against the wall next to the door. The beginnings of a plan were working themselves out in my head; I could only hope that Charlie would unknowingly cooperate.

I took a deep breath before turning back and opening the door.

"Dad? What was that about?" I tried my best to look concerned, frightened even. It wasn't too hard to fake with the scheme running through my mind. I chewed my lip absently as I shifted my weight from foot to foot.

"Bells, do you know that guy? He was trying to convince me that he's one of your friends, but I've never seen him before. Wonder if that's one of Carlisle's kids?" He stood in my kitchen, hand on his holster and eyes roaming the room, as if the man were still running around in the dark backyard somewhere instead of being handcuffed in a police car. Typical overprotective father.

"Yes, Ch- Dad, I know him. His name is Edward Cullen, he's a doctor in Seattle. We were kind of seeing each other, I guess. We had a falling out tonight, then he and Jake got in a shouting match outside and I thought he had left. Dad, I don't want to press any charges, but can you keep him at the station for the night? For me?" I used my big brown eyes on him, batting my lashes and willing the tears to pool. I chewed on my lip some more, knowing he was putty in my capable hands.

"Well, alright, Bells. I would feel better knowing he was at the station at least, not stalking around your house like some weird obsessed whack job. Try to get some sleep, honey. I'll call you in the morning." He kissed my forehead before appraising my kitchen one last time. Apparently finding it to his satisfaction, he turned on his heel and strode out of the house.

I ran upstairs, ready to execute the first phase of my plan. My palms were sweaty when I tried to plug in my curling iron, causing me to drop it on my foot. I spent the next few minutes hopping around my room, swearing my brains out and clutching my injured appendage. When the pain finally subsided to a dull ache, I managed to get it plugged in and heating up.

I artfully applied my makeup, not wanting to appear too overdone. The smoky eye and sheer lip gloss seemed to hit just the right note. I finally ran the hot iron through my hair, straightening it till the very ends, where I flipped them out. I bent over and fluffed it up, spraying it with some ridiculous fixative Alice had bought me for Christmas last year. When I finally straightened up, my hair looked as close to sex kitten bombshell hair as I could get it.

I threw on a pair of light grey pinstriped pants, yellow patent leather heels and a white button up sleeveless shirt. One last look in the mirror told me I was as ready as I'd ever be. I grabbed my cell, knowing I would definitely need to have it on me at all times tonight, and flew out the door. Then I ran back in to make sure I unplugged the curling iron. I pulled the cord from the wall and ran back out to my car.

I drove like a bat out of hell, much too fast for the dark and winding roads of Forks. Minutes later, I arrived at the police station. I sat in my car for a few minutes, deep breathing and psyching myself up for what I was about to do.

I strode into the building, heading straight for my father's desk. I knew no one else was in the building this late at night; Charlie usually stayed at the station, and there was no need for a second officer on the night shift in Forks.

"Bells! What are you doing here so late?" Charlie looked confused to see me here, but I put on my best "grown up daughter" face as I sat on the edge of his desk.

"Listen, Dad. I know you're freaked out by Edward being in the tree and whatever. I just need to talk to him right now. Can you give me a few minutes?" He nodded at me and waved me in the direction of the holding cells. I kissed his cheek and took off. As soon as I rounded the corner from him, I stopped dead in my tracks. I flipped my hair one more time, checked my lip gloss and unbuttoned my shirt till there was an eyeful of cleavage showing. I put on my best sashay and prayed to God I didn't trip once I was in view of his cell.

Edward looked pathetic, sitting on the bench of the tiny 6 by 6 cell. His head was in his hands, his hair in disarray and grass stains on his pants. His shirt was untucked and I swear I saw a leaf sticking out of his collar. He heard my shoes tapping on the floor and looked up. I stood with my hip cocked, my elbows resting on the bars of his cell.

"Well, Edward. You've gotten yourself into quite a pickle here, haven't you? With the Chief's daughter, no less!" I clucked my tongue at him, shaking my head. "What am I going to do with you?"

His eyes grew wide as he raked them up and down my body, finally resting on my chest. I let him ogle me for a moment before I continued.

"The tree was creative, I'll give you that. No man has ever climbed a tree simply to watch me undress. That fall looked painful, though. Not that you didn't deserve it, after all. You've been a complete and utter douchebag to me. I am, however, willing to forgive you. It's going to take some work on your part to earn my trust. Are you willing to try to earn my trust, Edward?" I arched a brow at him, pursing my lips and gazing at him studiously.

"Bella, you know I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. I'm so sorry, you know that. I just-" I shushed him. The adrenaline coursing through my veins from my position of power was definitely going to my head. I moved my body closer to the bars of his cell, pressing myself against them as I would my arms through. I hooked one heel over a low cross bar as I continued my mindfuckery.

"I'm going to make it fun for you, Edward. Come here; let me show you how fun it's going to be." I murmured, letting my eyelids drift down as I licked my lips. He got up slowly, his expression cautious. I watched him close the distance between us in two long steps before he was finally within my reach. I grabbed his shirt, yanking him closer till he was pressed against the other side of the bars. His bewildered eyes were barely and inch from my own, that gorgeous half smile forming on his perfect mouth. I closed the distance between us so slowly that my own lips were aching. I finally pressed them to his, a combined moan and sigh escaping from my throat. I nipped at his bottom lip before gently sucking it in to my mouth. I was sure he could feel my heart hammering in my chest through the bars of his cell.

Just as he was starting to get into it, I pulled away completely.

"Make sure you keep your phone on, Edward. You're going to need it." With that, I sauntered down the hallway, practically skipping once I was out of sight.

I went back to Charlie's desk, finding him in almost the exact same position as when I had left, bent over a stack of forms he was working through. I mentioned to him that although I thought it best that Edward stay there for the remainder of the night, that since he was a doctor it would be best for him to have his cell phone on him in case of an emergency. Charlie gave me a questioning look, but went immediately to retrieve it from the bag of Edward's belongings. Now, I just had to have the balls to go through with the plan and I would know without a shadow of a doubt if he really wanted me or not.

Edward's car was in my driveway, unlocked. I was currently perched between the two front seats, his stick shift wedged between my thighs. I wasn't wearing any pants.

I was leaning back awkwardly, attempting to use the camera on my phone to take a picture of my bare legs, heels, and pale yellow lace panties wrapped around the center console of his most prized possession. After about 4 really weird looking pictures, I finally found the right angle and a picture I could use. I sent it to his phone without any accompanying text, knowing that this picture was indeed worth a thousand words. I scrambled from my perch, feeling like a human pretzel when I untangled my legs and pulled on the sweats I had brought out with me. I snagged his stethoscope from the rearview mirror and brought it into the house with me.

I quickly ran to the spare bedroom, knowing the chocolate brown walls would accent this picture perfectly. I stripped off my sweats again, nearly diving face first into the wall when they snagged on my shoes. I peeled the tattered old Forks High shirt off, exposing a matching yellow lace bra. I secured his stethoscope around my neck so the end dangled between my breasts and down my stomach, ending just past the top edge of my panties. I quickly snapped a picture with my phone, making sure my face was cut out of the shot. It took a few tries, but I finally got it. Just as I was kicking off the shoes, my phone beeped, signaling a text. I flipped it open quickly, anxious to see if it was from Edward. It was.

_Love the aftermarket accessories. Do I get to keep them?_

I giggled to myself, loving that he was playing along and not upset that I had touched his precious Volvo without his permission. I texted back quickly, eager to continue the game.

_Only if you treat them right._

I took my phone and meandered downstairs, wanting to space out this little sexcapade for a bit. I poured a glass of wine and curled up with my Sudoku book again, promising myself I'd finish 3 puzzles before sending the next picture.

I couldn't concentrate on the stupid number game. I was too anxious to send my next picture. I knew I needed to keep them sexy without becoming raunchy, and I never wanted to show my face or any identifying characteristics. Everyone knew what happened when you take nekkid photos of yourself and put them out there in cyber space.

I finally decided I couldn't stand it anymore and sent the stethoscope picture. This one had a message.

_How do you like __my__ new accessory, Dr. Cullen?_

My heart was fluttering in anticipation and I wished I had been able to somehow see Edward's response to these pictures. I could only imagine Charlie going to check on him and finding Edward sporting a massive boner, staring eagerly at his BlackBerry.

His response was fast and short.

_Fuck, Bella._

I was giddy, practically high off of the knowledge that he was stuck in a jail cell and I was tormenting him. I didn't stop to think about what he would do when he got out, only that I knew for now he was in my power. I quickly decided to up the ante. I ran upstairs and turned on the shower. I stepped in the corner, far enough from the spray that only my legs got wet. I used one hand to soap up my loofah and let the suds run from my knee to my ankle. I snapped a picture of that, texting "Remember the shower in Vegas?" before sending it. I rinsed off my legs and stepped out, shutting off the water and drying myself off. I pranced into the bedroom, preparing for my final shot.

It was nearing 5 in the morning now, and I knew Charlie was off at 6. I needed to work fast to get the last phase of my torture in place before Edward was released.

I lit the candles I had already placed on every flat surface in my room, their light casting an ethereal glow. The main focus of the picture was my bed, the sapphire blue satin comforter pulled back to expose the soft pale blue cotton sheets beneath. Light white netting hung suspended from the ceiling, draping over the canopy and flowing over each side to the floor. The yellow lingerie I had been wearing was draped over the edge of the bed suggestively. The accompanying text was straightforward.

_I'm waiting; Come and get me_.

* * *

**Oh she's saucy, that Bella. Don't worry, fellow fanfiction-a-holics... she's not done with our poor Spedward yet. He's going to suffer for being such an assbag. To my girls, CM, JEEBs, cathy34, TMTF, omg all of you... i love you hard. like, harder than quil loves claire. seriously. and i've taken on a new beta job, to be disclosed at a later date... i am sofuckingexcited about it! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: OMG! I updated! I know, right? Sorry it took so long; blame my puppy. He takes so much more work than I realized! I have a whole new respect for moms :) How people write with kids is beyond me!**

**I really hope you guys like this chapter; it was the hardest one for me to write so far. Please, please let me know what you think!**

**Special buckets of praise to be dumped upon: Breath-of-Twilight for helping with the ending of this chapter, and for being such an awesome lady. Love you goobs! Cydryna Marie - thanks for not letting me give up, ever, and for pushing me to make this as perfect as I could. You're truly amazing and I wouldn't be doing this without you. Cathy34, TMTF, all my fabulous reviewers.. you guys make it easy to keep writing when it's the last thing I want to do. LOVE YOU ALL!**

* * *

What the fuck have I done?

Once the high of my grand scheme had worn off, I started to think about what I had just done.

I was a complete and utter moron.

I had thought I was so slick and felt so empowered, but I didn't stop to think about what I was actually doing.

I had proved him right.

I was being a slut.

I had been sitting here on my front steps for an hour, nose full of snot, mascara dripping down my face in the flood of tears I had shed over my idiocy. It had begun to drizzle, but I was past caring at this point. I deserved it.

Edward had fucked up when he called me a slut, but now that I had pulled my abomination of a stunt I realized exactly what had happened. He had acted on impulse, not stopping to consider the consequences of his actions. I had called him on it immediately, throwing it in his face at almost every opportunity.

I was a fucking hypocrite.

I knew I shouldn't just let him off the hook, but I could understand where he was coming from now. It didn't make it right, but I understood.

I still felt like shit.

I sniffled for the three hundredth time, feeling absolutely disgusting as I sat here cold, wet, and in pieces. I buried my head in my hands, my hair falling in my face and dripping rainwater from the tips. I sat like this for a while, running through every stupid thing I had done since I had met Edward, from sleeping with him only hours after meeting him, to this final shitastrophe.

I had fucked up at every step.

I was startled from my ruminations by the sound of a car pulling in the drive. I lifted my head from my hands, wary of who it could be. The rain pelted my face harder as I realized the car belonged to Edward.

It broke my heart that he came.

I watched him exit his car with trepidation, my heart breaking even more when I saw the bouquet of dahlias clutched in his hand. I had started this ridiculous game, and now I had to finish it.

I stood up, my arms wrapped around my aching chest, rain mixing with the tears streaming down my face. Edward looked startled, as if he were unsure why I was sitting outside in the rain after how I had acted earlier. I was sure my appearance wasn't reassuring him any.

"Bella, what are you doing out here? Your lips are blue, you're soaking wet. Let's go inside, ok?" He took a step towards me, his hand outreached in offering. I stepped back, not wanting to risk my body's reaction to his touch.

"Edward, I can't do this. I never should have done this, any of this. I was wrong; it was wrong." my voice sounded dead to me, the words stiff and wooden. "This was all a mistake."

His brows pulled down in confusion; I'm sure he wasn't expecting this reaction from me. "I'm not sure I follow..."

I felt the rage burning inside me, a slow, deep ignition that spread through me, flames licking at my heart, setting me on fire. I exploded at him.

"What the fuck don't you get, Edward?! I changed who I am because of you! I was never the girl that would sleep with someone the day she met him! I never imagined I would act like this, that I would let you turn me into some worthless tramp with one word! You called me a slut, and that's exactly what I've been acting like." I jumped off my stairs, pacing the sodden ground with angry steps. "It's like I'm addicted to you, like your touch is the one thing that soothes me. You have this fucking unhealthy control over my body and I fucking hate it! This whole thing has been damned from the beginning. You never knew the real me, just the girl that can't stop thinking about your body and the things it does to me, the things I wish it would do to me, over and over again!"

I stopped my pacing, crouching to the ground with my arms still wrapped around my chest. I was sobbing, gasping for breaths that just didn't seem to be enough. I longed to feel his arms around me, yet I wanted to hit him, to shake him till he understood my paradox. I felt helpless.

I felt his hands wrap around my upper arms, pulling me to my feet. I met his eyes defiantly, staring with as much venom as I could muster. I felt him shaking me, saw his face twist into a sneer as he responded.

"You want to think you're the only one that fucked this up, Bella? Open your fucking eyes! I've treated you like a cheap slut since the day I met you. I should have done better by you; you deserved better from me! I'm a fucking doctor, for Christ sake!" I heard a car pass on the street, noticed it slowing down before he pulled me back to his rant. "Do you think I haven't done things that were wrong? I've fuc-"

I watched in abject horror as it happened almost in slow motion. The truck barreled across the lawn, nearly missing Edward before slamming to a stop with the brakes squealing. Edward shoved me to the side before turning to find Jake striding towards us, his face stone cold. He was pulling his jacket off, dropping it to the ground before reaching Edward.

I screamed in shock as he punched Edward in the jaw, an awful crunching sound reaching my ears and I dove towards them. I didn't know what to do, only that I needed to get between the two of them before all hell broke loose.

Jake's elbow caught me in the temple as I scrambled to separate them, sending stars through my vision. I hit the ground in a tangle of arms and legs; I had landed on top of Edward. I felt Jake's rough hands grasping my legs as he pulled me off, tossing me to the side. I felt a rock slice into my hand as I fell on it and I looked down to see blood oozing out of the cut.

The fury flared to life inside me; I climbed to my feet, wiping my hand on my pants as I stalked closer to Jacob. I saw him kneeling on the ground, saw his hand at Edward's throat while the other pulled back into a fist. I dove on his back, pulling him to the side enough for Edward to spring to his feet. I crushed my fist to his cheek with all my strength, feeling a sickening crunch in my hand as I connected with his face. He looked up at me in shock, seemingly more surprised that I had actually hit him than in pain from the blow.

I cradled my hand to my chest as I backed away, sensing on some primal level that this was not a prudent move on my part. I saw Edward in my peripheral vision, noticed him edging closer to Jacob with a murderous look on his face. I watched as he lunged, grabbing Jake by the neck and yanking him around so they were face to face.

"You do NOT lay one finger on my wife, you dog. I should fucking kill you for touching her!"

Jacob stilled instantly, his face going white and then gray in the moonlight.

"What the fuck did you just call her?"

"I said _my wife_. Did you not fucking hear me?" Edward's voice was deadly calm, chilling me to the bone. Jake dropped his hands from Edward's forearms, struggling to step back as he shook his head in confusion. I stepped forward, loosening Edward's hands from Jake's shirt collar before pressing my good hand against his chest.

"Edward, please. Let's just go inside. Please." I murmured, pushing him lightly towards the front door. He took one long look at Jake before locking eyes with me, his expression softening slightly when he saw the fear and pain in my eyes. He must have realized that I couldn't handle much more of this, because he sighed softly before nodding. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder as he led me into the house, locking the door behind us.

He led me silently to the kitchen, turning on lights as he went and stopping at the sink.

"I need to clean this cut out, Bella. You might need stitches."

He worked silently, gently turning my hand to get a better look at it. The silence grew heavier, only punctuated by the splashing of the water as he rinsed out the cut.

His silence said more than words could have.

I felt like screaming, like bashing my fists against his chest until he understood me. Part of me wanted to give up and let him go, to save us both the heartache that was sure to follow if we kept fighting for this.

The other, more dominant part was frantically searching for a way to fix this fucked up situation, to right our wrongs and put the past behind us. I was afraid that we had pushed this too far; that we were broken beyond repair.

I sincerely hoped I was wrong.

I looked at Edward, his clothes covered in mud and rainwater, dirt smudged down the side of his face. He had protected me from Jake and I was taking that as a good sign. I hoped it meant that he couldn't bear to have anything happen to me and it wasn't just some chivalrous deed.

I realized he had been holding my clean but dripping hand for a few minutes now, staring at it absently as we both worked through our thoughts. I shut off the tap, gently extricating my hand from his before turning to get a bandage from the bathroom. I made my way in slowly, stopping to look at myself briefly before opening the medicine cabinet.

I saw the dent between my eyebrows, familiar to me now from all the years of dealing with Jake's shit. My dad said my mom had the same crease in the same spot; it was one of the only physical attributes we'd shared. I would have given anything to have her here now, helping me find my way through this awful mess. I didn't want to bother Alice with the drama; she had been spending every day with Jasper, helping him through his physical therapy and nursing him back to health. She had enough to deal with.

I grabbed a band-aid, slapping it over the cut before taking a deep breath. I knew I needed to tell him how I felt, to try to sort everything out together. I turned to walk out of the bathroom, nearly colliding with Edward. He was slumped against the doorframe, staring dejectedly at the floor.

"We really should talk, Bella."

I felt the lump build in my throat.

I was taking ragged, shallow breaths, my eyes darting across the room but never resting on anything for long before flying to something, anything besides Edward's face. I couldn't bear to watch as he said goodbye.

"Bella, I... I..." The anguished sound of his voice nearly broke me, my arms aching to hold him, my body naturally wanting to offer comfort to this man. I turned to him, meeting his eyes for the first time since we had been outside. It crushed me how tormented he looked.

"I understand, Edward." I barely spoke the words, breathed them really. I couldn't muster the strength to say outright that I knew we couldn't be together, that he needed something I couldn't be.

He huffed, his eyes searching the ceiling as he pondered his response.

"I don't think you do. I don't know if you can, Bella. So many regrets... I want to move past this."

I had known what he would say, but it didn't soften the blow.

I took a deep breath and slid down the door, wrapping my arms around my legs, hoping to keep myself together, to block out the pain that was slowly seeping into my heart, the pain I knew would surely break me.

"I know what you're going to say Edward, and it's okay. I get it. I knew the moment I realized we were married, hell even before that. The moment I saw you I knew I could never be good enough for you, but for some unknown reason God thought he'd fuck with me a bit and you miraculously were attracted to me as well. What we had was amazing, fucking mind-blowing even. I've never felt so many different feelings ignite at one time just from your touch. I admit, for a fleeting moment I had thought maybe, just maybe there could be something for us, that maybe we could give this insane marriage a try and I could get to know you. But now… after everything you've said, after everything I've done… there just isn't any hope in hell we can get past the damage we have inflicted on each other." A fat tear slipped down my cheek as I finally looked up to meet his stunned face.

I opened my mouth to continue but Edward held up his hand and shook his head. I snapped my mouth shut and waited for him to absorb everything I had just said.

Tears slid down my face in an even flow now as I watched a mixture of emotions pass over his face…..confusion, fear, anger, defeat. I'd gladly take on the storm raging within him than sit idly by while he just accepted everything I had said without even sharing his thoughts with me. I needed to know how he felt, too.

During my little freak out did I allow him an opening to share his feeling, his thoughts, or had I pushed my opinion on him, making it seem like there was no room for argument, for compromise?

As the implication of my words sunk in I watched stunned and horror struck as Edward slowly rose from the floor, his shoulders slumped and his eyes void of any emotion. He looked……he looked so broken.

My mind screamed at me for being such a bitch while my heart tore a little bit with each step he took, taking him closer to the door and further from me.

A slide show of sorts flashed by my blurring eyes, the first time I saw him at the pool, in the elevator, at the bar that first night, in my bed later that night and so many times after, in the restaurant when I had teased him under the table, in the helicopter, when he first showed up at my apartment, at the hospital frantically working on Jasper, the look in his eyes when he'd screamed at me in the hospital, the defeated and worn look in them when he'd shown up at my door soaking wet, the brief moment when he fell from my tree, him looking back at me through the jail cell bars, with such lust and adoration in his eyes, him defending me to Jacob, and finally the look on his face when I told him we could never work.

I gasped and flinched back as if someone had just slapped me in the face. That look was the same look he had when he first arrived on my doorstep…..which meant…..I was wrong, I was so very wrong. He still wanted me, after all our bullshit…all the fuck ups…all the words said in anger and fear….he still wanted me and I had just made the man of my dreams, a man I was just now realizing I was falling in love with… Wait! What the fuck?! Did I just think love? Was that what I was feeling?

My head spun, my stomach clenched viciously and my heart damn near beat out of my chest as realization dawned on me. I was falling in love with Edward Cullen and he wanted me, all of me…including my flaws… Shit! What have I done?

I flew off the floor and barreled towards to the door like my ass was on fire and swung the door open, now desperate to find Edward and make this right. I couldn't live without him and I needed him to know that. I needed him to see in my eyes what I had seen in his…acceptance. He needed to know that I forgave him.

As the rain began pelting me, I raised my head to the sky and prayed I wasn't too late.

I could see his car just backing out of the drive and sprinted into the downpour. He was so close I could feel the electricity crackling between us. He must have felt it too, because I saw the brake lights flash on his car and the driver's door open just as I slipped on the sopping ground and fell flat on my ass.

I yelped out as my cut hand crashed down on the ground and silently cursed at Jacob for causing it, just as I felt the electricity intensify and warm, strong arms encircle my waist and lift me into the air.

I gawked at him and all his glory as he cradled me to his chest and carried me back into the house, something momentous passing between us as we stared into each others eyes.

Edward walked us directly to the bedroom and set me on the bed gently. "I'll be right back." He whispered before disappearing through the door. I laid there limply, finally realizing that resisting this feeling was futile. No matter all the horrible, stupid things we'd done and said, I was in love with this man and for some asinine reason he seemed to want me too.

Moments later he came back and began undressing me. I wasn't sure if this was the best way to solve our problems but hey, at least he wasn't pushing me away or running from me. I was too tired, too defeated to summon the strength to fight this.

After he undressed me, he once again lifted me bridal style and carried me into the bathroom where I gasped in shock. He had drawn a bath, with candles lit all over the bathroom and the smell of strawberries lingering in the air.

Tears pooled in my eyes as he slowly lowered me into the tub. I hissed softly as the hot water hit my freezing cold ass and watched as Edward grabbed the washcloth and began gently washing my back. I wanted to explain how sorry I was for acting like such a skank.

"Edw……"

"Shhh…" he whispered and held his finger to my lips.

"You relax, I'll talk this time." I nodded, "okay."

Hot water slid down my back, causing a small moan to escape my lips. I closed my eyes and sighed. I don't know what I ever did to deserve this, but hell, I was a selfish creature by nature and by God this one time I wasn't going to over analyze shit. I was just going to enjoy it while I could.

"I forgive you, Bella, even though I really don't know what I am forgiving. But the look in your eyes tells me you need to hear that. But please know, Bella, I never once perceived you as sluttish. Not once. I've always seen you as something so much more. And honestly I'm glad you changed who you normally are when you met me, because if you hadn't we wouldn't be where we are now. Not that this is the best place to be, considering…well you know….but no matter how bad it may seem, you should know that in this moment, no matter what,there is no place I would rather be."

With that, the dam I'd be bracing back broke free. I sputtered as I clung to him with a ferocity I didn't know I processed, sobbing wretchedly into his dirty, wet shirt. I felt his arms wrap tightly around me and reveled in the warmth and comfort there.

When I calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence. I pulled back gently and looked up into his glistening eyes. "I forgive you too, Edward. And I accept you just the way you are, short temper and all. I…..I want to try to make our marriage work." That last part barely slipped past my lips as a whisper, but I knew from the widening of his eyes he had heard me loud and clear.

"Oh, Bella. You have no idea how badly I have wanted that. You have just made me the happiest man alive." He gushed, surprising me by pulling me into his chest and causing him to fall haphazardly into the tub with me.

I yelped in surprise and looked down at Edward now flopped across my lap with a perplexed look on his gorgeous face, droplets of water hanging from his furrowed brow and couldn't stop the snickers from escaping my lips.

"And just what might I ask, seems so funny about this predicament?" Edward chuckled.

"You…wet…all bent….can't breathe…" I gasped out, shaking with laughter.

My laughter stopped abruptly as Edward's eyes darkened and raked over my naked body. I heard his breathing pick up and grow ragged and groaned inwardly when his luscious pink tongue darted out and flicked across his plump lips.

"Oh God." I moaned, staring unabashedly at his wet shirt clinging gloriously to his broad chest.

"God can't help you now, my sweet. You're all mine." Edward growled.

* * *

I know - you're thinking, FH i could kill you for leaving us with another cliffie! Wait, it's ok. Next chapter is going to be ridiculously lemony! I owe you all for sticking it through to this point.

Don't forget to sign up on Breath-of-Twilight's page for the Countdown to Halloween: One Horny Hallow's Eve! I wrote a one-shot along with 29 other fabulous authors, and one will be posted every day in October along with a huge collaboration by a bunch of us that will be posted on Halloween! Put it on alerts, bitches & hoes, cuz it's sure to dampen your panties every day for a month! Put the significant other on standby - you're going to need it!


	13. Chapter 13

**OMG A/N: Yes, I suck. Yes, it took forever to update. I know.**

**Many thanks to all my girls, especially Jil, Cat, Kelli… I love you all and thanks for supporting me when I needed it and then kicking my ass two seconds later :)**

**ANYWAY! My one shot is coming up in the Horny Hallow's Eve Countdown – are you signed up? I promise, it's some down & dirty Edward with a skanky ass Bella (we all need that every now & then, I know you agree). Also, we're thinking about doing a Christmas countdown as well – send me ideas ladies!**

* * *

"Just focus on the feeling, Bella. Close your eyes."

My head lolled back against the tub as I fully relaxed my body, feeling every muscle loosen slowly. My arms hung loosely at my sides and my legs had fallen open, supported by the sides of the tub I lay in. I could faintly make out the flickering of the candles behind my eyelids, and the scent of the strawberry bath bubbles tickled my nose.

Faintly, so light I could hardly distinguish if it were real or if I was imagining it, a finger traced its way from my heel to my knee, doodling its way up my thigh where it disappeared completely.

Strong hands gripped my shoulders, fingers pressing gently against my tired muscles before massaging their way down my back. I heard his heavy breathing behind me as I felt a warm cascade of water make its way down my chest. Long fingers ghosted their way across my breasts, tracing my ribs and dragging down my stomach.

I could feel the heat building between my legs, the aching that was almost painful beginning with a throb. I squeezed my legs together and ground my ass down on the floor of the tub, trying to fight the feeling and failing miserably. My body didn't follow my commands anymore; it lived for him, responding naturally to his every touch. It was instinctual, as involuntary as the beating of my heart.

I reached behind me, pulling the stopper from the drain. I couldn't take it anymore.

I stood up swiftly, not caring that I was completely naked. He had seen me that way more times than I cared to remember. Unfortunately, my penchant for falling joined forces with the bubble bath and my feet went right out from under me. I felt Edward's strong arms wrap around me, saving me from the concussion and possible lack of consciousness that probably would have occurred when my skull met the floor.

I felt the blush spread like wildfire across my body, mortified that I always managed to ruin every important moment with my clumsiness. I cracked one eye to gauge Edward's reaction, noting his mouth clamped shut as tears leaked from his eyes and feeling his chest shaking with the effort to contain his laughter.

"Oh, fine, just let it out. Christ, I can't do anything right!" I sighed, rubbing my forehead with one hand before burying my face in his neck. I felt his hand pulling my head out before tilting my face up to his.

"Bella, honey. I'm still here, aren't I?" He took a deep breath before pulling me into his warm embrace. "I wouldn't have you any other way, love. You're perfectly imperfect…" He trailed off, staring deep into my eyes before pressing his lips to mine. I felt him moving us through the door and into my bedroom, his lips never leaving mine till I was lying on my bed.

"Isabella, I want to make it up to you, all the stupid things I've done and said. I want to prove to you that I'm a man worthy of your love, if you choose to give it. I want to make you happy, to keep a smile on your beautiful mouth, to give you more reasons to laugh than you've ever had before. I want the chance to start over, as much as I can, if you'll have me. I want to start right now." His beautiful eyes were fervent as he spoke, his fingers lightly tracing my cheekbone and giving me goose bumps.

It felt as if a dam had broken inside me, emotions rushing and flowing through every cell of my being. My heart was hammering at his words and I struggled to find the words necessary to answer him.

"Edward, I… I want to believe so badly that we can move past this. More than that, I want to try to move past it. I've spent years of my life living the 'safe' way, never putting myself out there, risking nothing. Now, finally, I feel like there's something to risk it all for. You. If you're willing to try this again, to attempt to put our past behind us and move forward, so am I." I snapped my mouth shut, knowing that if I were to say anything more I would start bawling like a child. I already felt the tears threatening my eyes.

I threw my arms around him and clung to him, blindly reaching my face to his. His lips descended on my face, a thousand feather-light kisses marking every minute spot on my skin. I laughed breathlessly, reveling in his adorations.

Edward moved his kisses down my neck, gently scraping my collarbone with his teeth before moving with excruciating slowness down my chest. It seemed as if he kissed every place on my breast except where I needed him most. I felt cool air rushing across my taut nipple, heard his ghost of a laugh as I moaned and arched my back. His hot mouth finally covered the aching flesh, soothing it with his tongue before sucking and biting softly. He released it with an audible pop before licking his way down to my hipbone.

I felt his teeth and tongue on my skin before he lifted his head to blow across the area, littering my stomach with tiny goose bumps yet again.

"Edward, please, I can't handle you teasing me now." I gasped out. "Please, just touch me. Please, Edward."

His answering growl was enough to set my heart racing double speed. I felt the rush of heat through my core, building and coiling in my belly as my arousal increased. I looked down at him, watching him crawl around the foot of the bed in his sodden clothes. I motioned for him to come closer and once he was hovering over me, I grasped the sides of his shirt and yanked, popping most of the buttons off. Edward looked at his shirt, then at me as a huge smirk spread across his face. I pushed the sleeves down his arms and tossed the shirt across the room, moving to work on his pants next. Once I slid them down his legs, I lay back and looked at him. He was a vision, perfection in the flesh, with his chiseled chest and stomach, his boxer briefs that were practically bursting at the seams, his toned arms and legs. I ran a hand through his hair, tugging lightly on the edges and watching as his eyes closed in enjoyment, a small smile playing on his lips.

I slid both hands under the waistband of his briefs, pushing them down and off of him in one quick movement, enjoying the sight of him laid bare next to me. I had almost lost this and I was going to be damn sure I cherished every moment with this man from this day on.

I moved my leg across his body, straddling him before leaning down to kiss his soft lips. I traced the corner with my tongue before sucking hard on his bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth and biting down lightly. I heard him groan beneath me before his tongue delved deeply into my mouth, massaging and stroking my own. I lifted my hips while we continued to kiss, positioning his dick at my entrance with one hand while the other wove through his hair.

I slid the tip of his dick up and down my slit, gathering all the moisture I could before raising myself up on my knees. I slammed myself down, impaling myself on his dick, gasping as he filled me completely. His hands wrapped around my waist instantly, holding me from moving, with their steel grip. I could feel him throbbing inside me, although with the intense sensations I was experiencing, I couldn't be sure it wasn't me.

"This is where you belong, Edward. This is so right." I panted out, wanting to bring him back to me from wherever he was.

His eyes flashed at my words, a growl escaping his lips as he lifted me up so that his cock almost left me before thrusting into me once again. He repeated the motion, my vision filling with stars as I squeezed my eyes shut. My hands clawed his chest, finally finding his arms to cling to as he plunged into me again. I felt the coil begin to tighten in my abdomen, the familiar aching and throbbing beginning to speed up and intensify as my climax fully took hold. Edward threw me over the edge with one final thrust, everything ceasing to exist except him and me, together in this moment. He worked me slowly as I came down, his hips undulating gently in a slow rhythm while his hands caressed every inch of my body. I finally opened my eyes to his smirk, followed by his simple statement.

"One."

My eyes widened in surprise, my mind whirling at the thought of what that one word meant. I was even more shocked when Edward flipped me on my back, pinning my bent legs between his arms as he began pumping more forcefully in and out of me. The angle kept him in exactly the right spot, hitting a place inside of me that no one had ever touched before. I could barely stand it, the feeling so intense that I almost begged him to stop. If he had stopped, I would have begged him to continue.

I looked up at his face: his beautiful eyes squinted almost shut, his mouth hanging open as he grunted with each thrust. I ran my hands up his sides and across his broad shoulders, down his arms and back again, burning this image and this moment into my memory. This man, this impossible, complicated, beautiful man had given me _life_. I wouldn't trade any of the past few months or regret any of my actions because it had all led me here, to this moment where we were joined as one.

This realization pushed me over the edge again with Edward following closely behind. His grunts turned to all-out groans and expletives as he came, thrusting so deep that I felt as if my insides were permanently marked by him. He collapsed on top of me in a heap, pulling me in to his chest and kissing the top of my head. Once our breathing slowed, he leaned in to my ear, the word tickling me as it coasted out on his breath.

"Two."

I giggled, rolling my eyes at him and smacking him playfully in the chest. There was no way I could come again; even twice in one day was a lot for me. I looked at his face and was suddenly taken aback by the predatory look in Edward's eyes. I scooted back on the bed, suddenly realizing I might be in for more than I bargained for.

"Edward, really, I mean there's no need for more than two, right? Honestly, you must be tired, I know you didn't get a lot of sleep last night… although I didn't either, see, so I'm kind of tired, too…" I was rambling, wracking my brain for a way to get me out of this room. I had spent so many days and nights longing for this man, and that animalistic look in his eyes was sending me running for the door. I wasn't sure what it was about that look that told me I was in trouble, but as I scrambled off the bed and backed up to the wall, I felt my heartbeat start thrumming and I was gasping for air. I was more turned on and more freaked out that I had ever been, and watching Edward stalk towards me like a lion wasn't helping. I felt the slickness increase dramatically between my legs and I rubbed them together to try and relieve the ache that surprisingly was already building there. Edward must have seen the small movement because he instantly pounced, pinning me against the wall with his body as his teeth nipped and tugged on the skin of my neck.

I felt his hand cup my ass as he lifted me against him, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist and trapping his dick between us. We both moaned in unison at the feeling of it rubbing against my clit, which I increased by wriggling against him. He growled again at me, releasing my ass and roughly grabbing my breast before pinching my nipple.

I continued wriggling and writhing against him, finally pulling myself up enough to feel his cock line up with my soaked slit. I braced my back against the wall as Edward slowly pushed his way into me, his eyes locked on mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, using them as leverage to meet his thrusts before grinding my pelvis down against him. I swiveled my hips, trying to gain the friction I'd need to come a third time and unable to find it. Edward looked me in the eye as he licked his fingers before moving his hand to my clit. He moved in small circles, the pressure vacillating from hard to barely there as he worked me into a frenzy. I was crying out and begging him to stop teasing, my insides clenched down and waiting for that final pressure to start my release. Edward was fast approaching his orgasm as well, I knew from his frantic pumping. Finally, he pressed hard and fast against my clit, throwing me over the edge. I screamed his name as I came, chanting it over and over again with each wave of pleasure. Edward moaned soon after me and I felt him come inside me.

We slid down the wall, still wrapped in each others arms as we lay in a pile on the floor.

He looked over at me and smiled, a huge smile that lit up his beautiful green eyes. His hand reached out and he traced my cheekbone with his thumb. His glistening eyes, shining with unshed tears, gazed at me with an intensity so deep that I thought _I_ was going to cry.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered, propping himself on his arm, his hand still caressing my cheek.

I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand, allowing myself to get lost in is touch. My eyes sprang open when he swiftly lifted me in his arms.

"You're cold." He murmured as I wrapped my hands around his neck and buried my face in his chest.

He laid me on the bed and then scooted in next to me, reaching for the covers to cover us before pulling me into his chest.

I sank right in to the comfort of his arms and sighed in contentment while his hand lazily stroked my arms.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" He responded, turning his head. I could feel his lips lingering in my hair.

"When do you have to go back?" I asked quietly, afraid to know the answer. I didn't want him to leave. It made me physically ill to think of him having to leave me now.

"Well, I…." he paused and let out a loud breath, scaring me a little. I sat up and looked at him. His face was strangely blank.

"What is it, Edward?" I asked, now concerned. I could feel my heart constrict in my chest.

"I….I don't want to leave." He whispered the last part and now it was my turn to let out a breath.

"Christ Edward, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you were going to say like an hour or something." I laughed, settling myself back in his arms.

"I didn't want to scare you, but Bella, truth be told, I don't want to leave. I don't think I can be away from you. But then, I don't know how we can make this work, I live in Seattle and you live here."

He was right, and just when I felt like things were going good, the real world came crashing down on me. I didn't want Edward to leave. I wanted to try us, but how the hell was I going to try with us living hours apart?

I hadn't had to worry about this "real life" stuff with Jake. Our fathers were already best friends, we had grown up together and it just happened. I started to realize that convenience didn't always mean it would work out; it was starting to seem like the less effort involved, the worse the relationship would be. Hell, Edward and I should be fine with all the effort we'd been putting in lately.

Then it clicked. What the fuck was I doing living here? Alice is moving in with Jasper and the only thing keeping me here is my job. There is nothing left here for me here. And I knew it, right at that moment that where ever Edward was, I was going to be. A smile crept on my lips as I sat there listening to his heart beat and played our lives in my head. I was going to move to Seattle. I was not going to let him out of my life again.

I sat up fast, happy, the biggest smile on my face and straddled his lap. His hands instinctively went to my hips and as he quirked an eye brow.

"I'm moving to Seattle." I blurted out.

"W-what?" He asked, his hands falling from my hips and hitting the side of the bed.

"I. Am. Moving. To. Seattle." I said slower, staring him right in the eyes.

He shook his head. "No, you can't do that." He said, looking away from me.

Rejection shot through my body; it felt like a thousand knives were plunged into my heart.

I had to swallow hard because there was a lump in my throat and I knew that at any moment the tears were going to fall.

My silence and heavy breathing must have startled him because I was brought out of my daze by his warm hands on my cheeks. He started to say something but I stopped him by putting my hand up.

"Don't, please, I'm not sure I can handle the rejection." I said, trying to break free from his grip.

"Rejection? You think I'm rejecting you?" he asked incredulously, with a slight snort.

I met his gaze again. "You just said I can't do that."

"Fuck, no, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that I can't ask you to do that. I can't ask you to leave your life." He pulled me to his chest and caressed my hair.

"But you're not asking me, I'm _telling_ you that I want to move to Seattle. Edward, there's nothing left here for me. I mean, my dad is here but he doesn't need me. I need the change, Edward……and…..I need you, I want to be with you. We don't have to move in together if you think it's……" I was stopped when he pulled my face and crashed his lips on mine, kissing me fiercely and passionately. My body became tingly, the feel of his hands roaming my naked body causing me to moan. He smiled into the kiss and I sat up to look at him.

"You're moving in with me." He said matter of fact, with a huge smile.

My insides were a puddle of mush and my heart was happier than it's ever been.

"I'm moving in with you." I said giddy and happy and just as I was about to kiss him once again, my phone rang.

"That's Alice's ringtone." I stood up and walked to my dresser to grab my phone.

"Bella….I'm engaged!!!" she squealed on the other end. I had to hold the phone out so my ear drum wouldn't be damaged.

"Bella did you hear me?"

"Yes, I did. That's so awesome, Alice. I'm so happy for you and I take it that Jasper is recovering well."

"He's recovering great, Bella. Oh my god, what's going on with you and Edward?"

"Long story, he's here with me now." I replied, sitting on the bed next to Edward, he took it as an invite to start to nibble on my neck.

"Jasper has been trying to call him."

Edward heard Alice and stood up looking for his phone only to find it soaked from when I pulled him in the bath with me. He held it up and we both laughed.

"Well it's kind of…out of commission." I giggled into the phone and then laughed even harder when Edward started to stalk over to me on his hands and knees like a lion.

"Alice, Alice, I'm so happy for you and I'll see you in a few days, but I have…." I was cut off when Edward grabbed my phone, hitting the end button and throwing it on the floor.

"You think that's funny?" He asked, trapping me by putting his hands on either side of the bed and leaning in so our noses were touching.

"MmHmmm." I said, shaking my head, trying to control my laughing.

"God, I love you." He said, my breath hitching at the declaration.

He froze for a moment, then sat next to me and ran his hands through his hair.

I turned towards him, not sure what to think or say.

* * *

Awww can you feel it? It's drawing to an end... i can't believe it! Two more chapters at most, kiddies. It's so sad!

OK so I have a buncha stories to rec for you now: The Blessing and the Curse by The Black Arrow, AmJur by covermeinfeathers, Poughkeepsie by (OMG IN LOVE WITH THAT STORY!), Boy in the Red Sweater by Starrynytex. That should hold ya till the next update comes from me :)

xoxo!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: OMG. ok this is going to be a short top note and a super mega long bottom note. firstly! go check out breath-of-twilight's halloween collaboration - my story miss october is chapter 20 and i participated in the massive collaboration too. its amazing! next: shout to my girls, cat, deep, jil, kel, all my ladies i love you to pieces!**

**and i'd like to welcome all the readers that found me on the lickable lustorium blog - thank you ladies for joining us and i hope you enjoy the ride! a special thanks to the chickadee that nominated me - you know who you are, noshy, and i love the shit out of you for it :)**

* * *

BPOV

I stared at Edward, my mouth gaping at his sudden admission of love. I knew I had to answer him but I was unsure of whether I was ready to tell him. I knew I loved him wholly, completely, with every cell in my body.

I was scared. The last time I had told someone I loved them was with Jake, and that had obviously turned out pretty badly for me in the end. I winced as memories of last night assaulted my mind, remembering the disgusting sound of his fist connecting with Edward's face. I was snapped back to the present by the dejected look in his eyes, reminding me that I had a decision to make.

"Edward… I…" I looked down at our hands intertwined in my lap as I let out a defeated sigh. I rubbed the back of his hands with my thumbs as I worked up the courage to step past the point of no return.

"I-I love you, too. I'm just scared of what comes next. We haven't exactly had the most… conventional relationship so far." I dropped one of his hands, pushing my hair out of my face. I looked back up at him, noting his raised eyebrows and that smug smirk that made me want to hit him and fuck him all at once. "What?! Why are you looking at me like that?!"

His throaty chuckle was infuriating. I was trying to be open and honest with him and he was laughing at me. I pulled my hands back and wrapped my arms around my chest, turning to face away from him. I knew I was pouting and being unreasonable, but I felt so vulnerable at this moment that I didn't care.

"Bella. Come here." His strong hands gripped my hips and slid me back so that my back rested against his chest before wrapping his arms around mine. "I was only laughing at your choice of words, not at you. We'll figure it out, together. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

I leaned back against him, dropping my stiff posture and melting into his touch. He sounded so sure that we would be able to fix this and I wanted to believe him. I turned my face into his neck and pressed my lips below his ear, opening them slightly to flick my tongue against his stubbly skin. His arms tightened around me and a low groan escaped his mouth.

A horrendous banging followed by someone screaming my full name interrupted the moment and we both jumped at the sudden noise.

"_ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! YOU GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT AND OPEN THIS DOOR!"_

I met Edward's concerned gaze with my own, my mouth again falling open as I realized who was at the door. "That's my dad! Edward, please, stay up here while I go deal with him. I'll try to make it fast but I think it will be easier for all of us if you stay out of sight for the time being." He nodded quickly before releasing me from his arms as I scrambled off the bed, grabbing my robe and quickly tying the belt around my waist. I threw one last look his direction before dashing out into the hallway. I flew down the stairs and wrenched the door open to find my father pacing furiously on my porch.

"Bella, we have to talk." He stalked past me into my kitchen, the fact that he was wearing his uniform and his gun sending chills down my back. He ran a hand through his hair as he gave an exasperated sigh, his eyes looking everywhere but at me as he pulled out a chair from the table and threw himself into it. He motioned for me to sit and I complied, eyeing him nervously as I contemplated what this could be about.

"I did a little digging on your 'friend' Edward, honey." Charlie's eyes shifted around the room, searching every corner and nook as if he were looking for something. His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned towards me conspiratorially, although a whisper for Charlie was like your normal voice for everyone else. He hadn't quite figured out that he was incapable of speaking at the tone required for whispering. "I know he's here, too, Bells."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at his not-quite-subtle reprimand. "Ch- Dad, if you have something to say, say it. I'm not going to play games with you. You obviously have something you need to tell me, so get it off your chest." I folded my arms across my chest, hoping that the tremors in my voice weren't as obvious to Charlie as they were to me.

EPOV

I couldn't just sit in her damn bed after she went flying out of the room as if it were on fire. Damn Charlie for interrupting us just as we were getting to the important parts!

I knew Bella and I needed to have a serious discussion involving all the horrible mistakes we had both made from the day we met. I could tell by the look in her eyes how afraid she had been to tell me that she loves me, too. I had been almost positive that she did, but hearing it from her beautiful mouth was the single best moment of my existence. I didn't understand her irrational fear of telling me, especially since I had slipped and put myself out there first, but I felt that this was probably one of the things we needed to discuss.

I knew she had an abusive relationship with Jacob but I had no idea how truly out of control he could be until last night. I had felt so helpless watching him manhandle Bella the way he did and it had ignited a rage deep within me. My blood was boiling just remembering it. Thank God Bella was there to intervene or I would probably have been spending today in a jail cell again, because there was no fucking way I would let him put a hand on her and walk away unscathed. That mongrel would get his; I would see to that.

I paced the floor in Bella's room, feeling helpless and useless again as I heard her father's angry voice coming up the staircase. I wanted to respect her wishes and wait for her up here, but surely her father had seen my car in the driveway and knew I was here. Hastily, I searched her room for my damp undershirt and shorts, briefly uplifted at the thought of how ridiculous I must have looked to Bella when I fell in the tub with her last night.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head as I struggled to pull the shorts on, desperately needing to at least hear that she was all right. I understood the Chief's concern but I wouldn't stand by and let him badger her over mistakes we had both made.

I crept into the hallway, listening closely to the voices I heard downstairs. It sounded as if the Chief was trying to whisper but I could hear everything he was saying clearly.

"_Well, honey, like I said, I did some digging on Edward."_

"_Oh yeah, Dad? Find anything interesting?"_

I could hear the slight vibration in her voice and I knew she was upset. I could only hope that the Chief hadn't found anything too terrible; I knew I had been a little rebellious in my college days but I couldn't imagine that he would try to use that against me. I shuffled my feet forwards, straining my ears as hard as I could to pick up their conversation.

"_well, Bells... I think you should stay away from him. I'm not sure if you know this, but..." _Charlie heaved a sigh and I heard loud thumps that I could only assume were hands dropping on the table as a chair scraped across the floor. _"He's married."_

I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath and I could imagine her cheeks flushing that lovely shade of crimson. Would she deny me? I felt my body propelled a few steps further as I hugged the wall in an effort to remain silent.

"_Dad…"_

"_No, Bella! Don't try to defend this, this, affair or whatever they call it these days. What about his wife!? I raised you better than this, Isabella! You know how wrong this is and I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am in you." _

I heard heavy steps moving around the kitchen before the faucet turned on and then off. I moved forward again, listening as hard as I could for what would come next, as my foot connected with something hard.

I had failed to notice in my deep concentration that I was walking directly toward a table against the wall in the hallway, and I had kicked it over in my haste to eavesdrop. The sound was earsplitting in the deafeningly silent hallway. I heard the sound of something landing in the sink before I saw Chief Swan at the bottom of the stairs with his gun drawn and pointing straight at me.

BPOV

I was debating how to respond to my father when I heard the table upstairs topple over. Charlie dropped the glass he'd been drinking from in the sink and in a move so fast I almost missed it, pulled his gun from his holster as he assumed the stance of every police officer across the world and walked, gun first, towards the stairs. He pointed the gun towards the upstairs hallway, yelling at Edward to come down and face him like a man.

I knew this could be a potentially volatile situation, especially with Charlie still ignorant of the finer details of mine and Edward's relationship. I stepped forward, raising my hands towards my dad and used the calmest voice I could muster.

"Dad. Put your gun away, now. Seriously." I beckoned towards his belt holster, silently praying he wouldn't shoot Edward. Honestly, that would be the last thing we needed right now. I raised my eyes from his belt to the stairs to see a sheepish looking Edward in his underwear descending with his hands held up.

"Hi Chief Swan. I suppose we have some things to discuss." Edward was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. I found my eyes drawn to his sparsely clad body, and I had to try very hard to refrain from eye-fucking my husband in front of my unknowing father.

Charlie lowered his gun but kept it in his hand, occasionally using it to gesture wildly and causing Edward and I to duck if it was pointed anywhere in our general vicinities.

"Dad. Stop waving that thing around, k? Put the gun away. Edward is here because I _want_ him here. No need for weapons." I warily watched as he contemplated my request before slipping the gun in his holster.

Charlie turned to Edward, his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. "Just what are you intentions with my daughter, Edward? You're already married and I'm sure your wife wouldn't be happy to know about this… arrangement. Bella deserves better than this and I won't stand for anything less for my little girl."

I felt tears in my eyes at his words, and guilt surged through me as I realized that I had left Charlie out of one of the most important decisions I had ever made; he had never been able to follow the traditions and customs of a father giving his daughter away to the man that would stand by her for the rest of her life. If all this worked out with Edward someday, I vowed that I would give Charlie that day to walk me down the aisle and hand me over to the man I love.

I looked into Edward's eyes and saw the playful glint that I had come to adore, and I knew he was considering his response to my father's accusations.

"Chief, I assure you that my wife is well aware of this 'arrangement' with Bella and that she approves whole-heartedly of this situation."

Charlie turned to face me, confusion plain on his face as he absorbed Edward's statement. "Is this true, Bells, honey?" His agonized eyes burned into mine and I knew that I had to fix this. I took a deep breath before stepping forward and taking my fathers hand, keeping my eyes on our entwined fingers.

"Dad… yes. It's true." His fingers went slack in mine and I looked up to see his face crumble in sadness. I glanced at Edward and saw him mouth 'I love you' at me. A smile spread across my face and I found the courage to tell Charlie the truth.

"IknowhowshefeelsbecauseI'mher." I rushed, getting the words from my mouth as fast as I could. I looked back at Edward to find him barely able to contain himself, his lips pressed together as a smile threatened to take over his face and his body shaking with the laughter he was trying to hold in.

"Bella, honey, you have to repeat that, I swear I misunderstood you…" Charlie's pleading look took the happiness of the moment away instantly as he tugged on my hands insistently.

"Dad. Edward and I are married. We have been for a few months. It's a really long story but just know that we're going to try to make this work." I took another deep breath before continuing with the most important part. I leaned forward and stage-whispered, "And Dad? I love him, so behave yourself."

Charlie stood stock still, his muscles frozen in shock as he tried to make sense of my words. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, giving him the look of a fish on dry land. He looked from me to Edward and back again, his face turning a strange shade of red that I hadn't seen before. I wondered if I should be concerned but I realized that I was married to a doctor and he was standing fifteen feet away.

The silence dragged on for what felt like hours. I fidgeted in my spot, wringing my hands and chewing my lip incessantly. Edward moved to stand beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I tried to smile up at him but I couldn't tear my eyes from my father.

Dad suddenly appeared to break out of his coma as his head snapped up and a wicked smile spread across his face.

"Well, Bells, I don't have to be happy about it but I think it's only fair that you let me meet my new extended family. Dinner, tonight, here, at seven. Edward, your parents will be expected as will you. I'll see you two then." He reached forward to shake Edward's hand and then reached in to kiss my forehead before he stormed out the door.

* * *

**A/N: OK now that i got that chapter out.. cant wait to write about dinner! imagine how fun this will be ;)**

**ANYWAY i have to rec a buncha fics that i am loving the shit out of right now:**

**A Constant in the Darkness by Camoozle - she's a sweetheart and her story fucking rocks my fucking socks - she likes the "f" word, just like me :)**

**Brotherly Devotion by goldentemptress - holy fuck. if you need to get all worked up for any reason, this story will have you hot & bothered in 60 seconds or less. even the chapters WITHOUT lemons (few of them, girls, not many) get ya all tingly in the girly regions.**

**ALSO! Cathy34, my lovely darling and I have made a community of the best fic we have found thusfar. feel free to check it out and to suggest stories if you've found one we dont have that is just too good to pass up!**

**as always - thanks for reading, i love you all, and XOXO!**


	15. Don't get excited AN

Yes, I am an epic fail at updating. I don't blame you if you want to throw things at me and get violent – I deserve it.

Something about this story is just stuck in my head and I can't put it down in writing. I'm going to continue to try because I owe you all that for sticking with me so far.

To give you something else in the meantime, I've written a one shot for the Countdown to Christmas hosted by Breath-of-Twilight. It was posted yesterday as Chapter 13. It's my first try at Darkward so be gentle!! This one shot **will** be turned into a full length story. The outline is complete and I want to bust out a few chapters before I begin posting, in case I have major brainfail again. Look for it in January. Also, I'll be changing the title to "Death Wish", so don't get confused! You can find it here: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5477548/13/Countdown_to_Christmas - you know, just replace the (dot) with the real thing :)

If you give up on me, I understand. I probably would, too, at this point. My main concern is that I don't want to write a shit chapter just so you have something in your inbox. I want to do this the right way, so we're all going to have to wait (hopefully not much longer!) till I can figure out why I'm all blocked up.

I love you all hard and appreciate all the reviews you've given me so far. Cross your fingers that I snap out of it soon!

xoxo

Fragile Human


End file.
